Condemned Immortality
by Eleantris
Summary: Bella's immortal life is condemned to loneliness. A sadistic, powerful vampire clan destroyed everything she held dear and now she's in Cardiff looking for a new life, and she found Torchwood. But then the same clan come back for her to finish the job.
1. Preface

_**Hi, here's the Preface to my new crossover story. Hope you like it and please review! This is set a few years after Breaking Dawn and a few months after an alternate version of 'Children of the Earth', whereby Rhys died along with Ianto, Gwen was never pregnant and Jack didn't run off.**_

_**Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Preface**_

* * *

It was like I could smell the burning all over again, that sickly, sweet, burnt smell that lingered in the air, worse than any other smoke. It consumes you, tortures and haunts you with what it signifies. Death.

I could see the crackling, hungry fires and the malicious grins of the Maleficus as they burnt the people I loved without conviction. Burnt them purely because we had what they did not: family. But I didn't have that anymore, and they hadn't noticed me stood here, behind a large pine tree. In their sadistic victory, they hadn't realised that I had escaped. They just watched in triumph as the flames licked and flickered around my family, reducing them to non-existence. The sight of my family and friends burning to ashes filled me with disgust and I couldn't even cry, or scream out for them. I'd lost them, they were dead. Emmett and Rosalie, dead. Jasper and Alice, dead. Carlisle and Esme, dead. Edward, dead. Renesmee, dead. And all those names, that stabbed me as I thought them, they were only the beginning of this bloodied murder spree.

The Quileute's had been killed, too...all of them. And the Denalis.

I swallowed the venom rising in my mouth as I looked wretchedly at the harrowing sight in the field. Never again would Emmett tease me with his lewd jokes and make me cringe, he was gone, my big brother. Never again would Rosalie smile her dazzling smile and hug Renesmee, she was gone. Never again would Alice bound up to me, screaming of the sale she'd seen in the future and insist on me going with her, she was gone, my lovely, gorgeous sister. Never again would I see the look of understanding in Jasper's eyes, or feel his calming presence, he was gone. Never again would Esme smile her dimpled smile and come over to me, hugging me purely because she felt like it, she was gone, my adorable adoptive mother. Never again would Carlisle tell us stories from the hospital, making us laugh together, he was gone, too. Each name carved a scar inside me, so deep it pierced the soul that I may or may not have...I was alone. Alone for eternity. A condemned immortal.

Though I couldn't cry, my eyes stung sharply from the build up of venom as my still heart twisted and constricted with overwhelming pain. I'd never wanted to cry so much, I'd never felt so desperately angry and upset, the loss of everyone I held dear coursing through me like the fire that burned them.

I would never laugh with my beautiful daughter again, the gorgeous nudger I had carried for all of a few weeks, almost dying to bring her into the world. My lovely little Renesmee, all grown up now, never again would I see her hair shine and eyes light up as she spoke so animatedly about where Jake had taken her.

Jacob. I wouldn't feel the warmth of his massive bear hugs ever again, or see him make my beautiful daughter laugh and grin. He wouldn't joke with me, or tell me interesting stories about the werewolves, because he was gone too.

And then, the worst hole of all, the same hole from a few years ago torn open again, but this time, much, much worse, because he wouldn't come back this time. He was dead.

My beautiful, perfect husband burnt along with the rest of them and never again would he hold me close and murmur that he loved me into my hair...I wouldn't spend another blissful night with him in our cottage, nor feel his smooth lips against mine or angel's laugh come from his mouth. He was dead, gone, burnt. And the fire and pain burnt inside me fiercer than ever, my family was gone...I was living somewhere I had sworn never to live...

A world where Edward didn't exist. My idea of hell.

And in that realisation I ran, ran faster than I ever had, wondering if with every harsh pound of my feet against the damp forest ground, my pain would ease just a little. It didn't. They were all gone, all of them, I was alone. Without Renesmee.

Without Edward.

By the time I felt I could stop, I was miles away, hundreds of miles away in Canada and I sank to the ground in the forest and just lay there, allowing the extreme pain and loss to overwhelm me, tearing at my skin, hitting my soul and taking my heart, crunching it into pieces that could never be re-assembled. The scars the pain tore inside me would never be healed, this I knew.

And I lay there, still as a statue as snow began to fall, covering me in a smooth white blanket and hid me from the rest of the world...I wanted it to bury me, I never wanted to move...I just wanted to stay there under the calm blanket of snow and be dragged down by my pain...I never wanted to re-surface.

* * *

I stubbornly jerked myself back to the present, refusing to allow myself down that road again. It was a year since I had seen everything I held dear disappear, a year since I had watched my family burn. A whole year without Edward. For ten dismal months, I had been in hiding, rejecting civilisation and contact...I couldn't bear to look at anyone, let alone speak. I had been broken and empty, unable to comprehend how I could live an eternity without Edward. Those ten months had been a nightmare, I'd gone completely wild – savage, even...hunting only when absolutely necessary and just lying still in the abandoned wilderness somewhere for the rest of the time, trying desperately not to _feel_ anything.

But now, though every step pained me and every memory stabbed me like a knife, I had decided to live again. And as I looked around the park, in the middle of Cardiff – Wales, I knew I had to try, ultimately try, to live. Because I knew now that Edward would have wanted me to do this; that they all would have wanted me to do this. I got up and walked away from the bench I had been sat at, wandering aimlessly under the overcast skies of the UK.

It had been some sort of relief, getting out of the USA, I couldn't stay there anymore, and Cardiff seemed the perfect place for a new start. Though my heart wasn't reassembled and my scars not healed, I lived on...they would never be healed and my heart never reassembled, but I lived on...because that's what Edward would have wanted.

My name is Bella Cullen, and that is how my family died. And this is how I joined Torchwood. The 21st century is when everything changes, and we've got to be ready. But I just wasn't ready for what came next.

* * *

_**I know that's quite a grim way to start the story, but I hope you liked it all the same. I will update as soon as possible, but in the mean time – please review!**_

_**X =D**_


	2. We Are Broken

_**You'll notice the chapter title is also a Paramore song, I've decided to name all my chapters after various songs, with lyrics at the end which I think fit the chapter in some way. **_

_**Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Chapter One – We Are Broken**_

* * *

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I walked down the high street, making sure my pace was perfectly human. They were staring at me because, even wearing just jeans, boots and a grey trench coat with my hair in a scruffy ponytail; I still looked painfully and inhumanly beautiful. This was just one of the advantages – or in my case disadvantages of being a vampire.

It was for this reason that I turned off the high street and down a noticeably quieter street, where there were less people to stare at me as though they'd never been taught it was rude. I hated being stared at, or being the centre of attention. However, avoiding attention was quite a feat when you're impossibly fast and strong and you cause every head to turn wherever you go.

It was as I was lost in my own mind, trying to distract myself from any thoughts of my family, that I turned onto a truly deserted street – perfect. I kept my head down and just watched as the pavement tiles passed beneath my feet. During this exercise of trying not to think about anything, I heard the footsteps before I saw him.

Again, another vampire trait – 'super sonic hearing'. Suddenly, a tall man appeared around the corner. He was looking down at some small silver contraption in his hands and wore a long, navy military coat. I prepared to step out of his way just as he looked up, and dropped the strange silver thing he was holding. It bounced on the cold concrete and rolled away, stopping at my feet. I stooped – a little too fast – and picked it up, my eyes looking over it quickly before I handed it back to him. I'd never seen anything like it before.

'Here you go.' I said, watching as he flinched at the cold granite of my skin and slipped the contraption into his pocket.

'Thanks.' He replied, his boyishly handsome face splitting into a smile. He was attractive but just humanly attractive of course. Don't get me wrong, I didn't fancy him. I could never love anyone after...Edward. But he looked – kind. Like he wasn't going to ogle me or anything.

'That's alright. What is it?' I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

He was silent for a moment, his eyes flickering over my face and I instantly knew there was something more to this man and the mysterious gadget now in his pocket.

'Let's just say there's more to the world than most people think.' He answered cryptically, the smile still in place.

His words hit a nerve, reminding me of the heavenly world I'd chosen and the hell I now lived in; with the people I loved cruelly taken away from me. 'I know.' I told him quietly. 'I've seen more than people could imagine.'

He frowned at my words and then his face straightened out, his smile returning as he held out his hand. 'I'm Captain Jack Harkness, head of Torchwood.'

I eyed his hand warily; he'd already touched my hard, ice cold skin once, twice was pushing it. 'Bella Cullen.' I told him, not touching his hand and waiting until he dropped it. And it was only now that I noticed his accent was out of place, just like mine. I hadn't spent much time in Cardiff yet, I'd only got here a week ago and I hadn't heard much of the welsh accent for it to become normal.

'Long way from home?' I asked, brushing some hair back with my left hand and noticing as his eyes flickered to the delicate engagement and wedding ring on my third finger.

He smiled again. 'Nah, this has been home for a long time. But what about you? That's an odd accent you got there – like a mix of Arizona and Washington.'

I gave him a non-committal nod, ignoring the name of where I'd lived until I was seventeen and the state where this had all started.

'What's Torchwood?' I asked, trying to change the subject. I had no idea what possessed me to ask, I should just be walking away by now rather than having a prolonged conversation with this man. But I couldn't let his introduction go, '_Captain Jack Harkness, head of Torchwood.'_

He seemed to have a momentary second of indecision before extending his arm as if he wanted me to link mine with his. 'How about I show you?'

I knew I shouldn't accept his offer, I was sure I shouldn't go somewhere with a complete stranger who had unknown technology in his pocket and was head of some sort of organisation I'd never heard of. But still, he didn't seem dangerous and I'd been immortally unbreakable for a while now, I was hardly in any danger from this mysterious, smiling man. So I found myself nodding and walking away with him, though I still shunned the human contact, not linking arms with him.

* * *

It looked like we were heading for the harbour, from what I could tell. He kept up a steady stream of unimportant chatter all the way, drifting from the weather to the national news. This caused me to only need to nod or to give a few monosyllabic answers to keep him going. I didn't want to talk much, I was fully aware that my clear, velvet voice was very different from his joking, ordinarily human one.

I was right – after making a few turns we emerged at Cardiff Bay, the glistening water tower standing proudly above the water as it rippled gently in the wind. I turned to him, remembering to blink in order to look reasonably normal. 'Where now?'

'Just follow me, you'll see.' He replied, striding over to a small sort of hut that looked a little like a deserted and derelict tourist information point. Though saying that, it was wasn't very old, so I settled on the conclusion that perhaps it was newly abandoned. He pushed open the unlocked door and walked through, beckoning for me to follow. I was proved right again as I stepped inside and quickly cast my eyes around the small, darkened office.

There was a tourist leaflet stand and an old computer, not to mention the maps and times for theatre showings, but it was obvious this office hadn't been used in at least a year, maybe two. With my heightened senses I could smell the damp leaflets and the mothballs on the chair behind the desk and I could clearly see every miniature particle of dust that coated the grimy surfaces.

I looked at the man – Captain Jack Harkness – feeling somewhat unimpressed. 'This is Torchwood?' I inquired sceptically, glancing around again in one fluid movement.

He grinned at me again and leant over the desk. I heard a button being pressed and he stood back again, still smiling. I watched in surprise as part of the wall slid back to reveal a stone tunnel. He silently put a hand on my back and guided me through and down the passageway. We stopped at a circular metal doorway, into which he entered a code. His fingers moved quickly over the touchpad in an attempt to conceal the code, which would have worked if I'd only been human, but I wasn't – and so I caught the exact digits he plugged in. OTNAI - 654.

The door opened with a creak and he gently pushed me through. '_This_ is Torchwood.' I heard him say behind me as I stepped forward in amazement.

* * *

In the middle of the strange, multi-height room was a long metal tube, connected to all sorts of wires, tubes, levers and buttons. It extended all the way up to the high ceiling, water trickling gently to the bottom and I realised with a jolt of surprise that we were _inside_ the water tower. I looked around a little more, Captain Jack Harkness standing back while I wandered around, taking it all in.

There were various computers dotted around, along with papers containing writing in languages I'd never come across before. There was technology everywhere, some normal and some – like the piece still in his pocket – that was completely foreign to me.

I also noted a few doors and sets of stairs that must have lead to God knows where. Then, I became aware of another scent that wasn't the man's. When I focused, I could hear the tapping of a keyboard, someone breathing, the smell of a leather jacket, a rustle of denim...

I turned back to the man. 'What is this place? Who else is here?'

He came over to where I was stood, that smile still residing on his face; it was beginning to bug me a little, considering I hadn't been able to sum up a single reason to smile in just over a year. 'That's Gwen, she works here with me, it's just us two.' He told me, watching my reactions carefully.

I nodded, still taking new things in. 'And who are you, what does Torchwood do?'

I could tell his reply was meant to impress me, or freak me out. Or both. But I'd always been good with weird.

'We're an organisation. Outside the government, beyond the police and above the United Nations. We track alien life on earth and arm the civilisation against the future.'

* * *

Aliens? Four years ago I'd never have believed it. But since then I'd met vampires and werewolves, I'd even ceased to be human myself. So aliens? Yes – I could believe that all too easily.

'So...aliens invade earth and you stop them?' I asked simply.

He was shocked by my serious tone; it was obvious he'd expected me to mock him. 'Well, not many actually _attack_, a few do but we sort them out. But you see that over there?'

I turned to where he was pointing and saw the towering cylinder that I first noticed when I got here. 'Yeah, what is it?'

'It's a rift manipulator.'

'Rift?' I asked, my attention captured now.

'Running underneath Cardiff there's a rift in time and space, it's like a kind of hole and sometimes aliens accidently drift through it, washing up here in Cardiff.' He explained.

'Then what do you do?' I pushed, surprised at myself that I was actually interested.

He put his hands in his pockets and I became aware of the woman – Gwen – moving to stand around the corner, listening in – her warm scent had grown stronger.

'Well on the most part we just help them home but if they can't be controlled then we have to contain them.'

My eyes flickered down to some concrete stairs and back to his face. 'You mean...?'

He nodded. 'We have cells downstairs.' He told me, confirming my silent thoughts. There were aliens beneath where I stood.

'And...What about all the technology?' I continued, gesturing curiously to all the metal contraptions that now, rather than foreign, I guessed were _alien_.

'Not only aliens wash up through the rift. We get tons of lost pieces of technology which we test and then either put to good use or lock it away if it's not safe.'

I nodded, but upon looking around again, something clicked into place. This was a _secret_ organisation; it spent time and money on remaining underground. What they did was confidential – top secret. They weren't just going to let me walk out with the knowledge that Torchwood existed. And again I was right. At the same time he offered me a coffee, I said 'you're not going to let me go without making me forget this place, are you?'

* * *

I watched as he stopped dead, the warm smile falling from his face like a brick to the ground. Slowly, as if he wasn't sure he should be saying it, he simply said 'no.'

There was no point in sticking around here to be poisoned through drinking coffee, the poison would just go through me and I'd have to choke it up later. Then these strangers would want to know why I wasn't affected by arsenic, or whatever they planned to kill me with.

I made to run, I could get out of here all too easily, they wouldn't even see me move, one minute I'd be here, the next I'd be outside. I could be on the other side of the city within two minutes...technically. Realistically I couldn't do that because numerous humans would see me, and then the Volturi would be down on me, eagles to their prey. But still, the point was that I could get out of here effortlessly.

Just as I was about to go, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and a strong welsh accent say 'wait.'

I turned to see a pretty brunette woman with a full fringe, in denim jeans and a leather jacket. Her gaze moved from Jack to me in shock as she dropped her hand and took a small step back. 'Um, hi...' she paused, realising she didn't know my name.

'Bella.' I told her. 'Bella Cullen.'

She nodded and glanced at Jack, I spun my head to look at him and he was shaking his head at her slightly. She shrugged and I turned back around, making sure I could still see Jack out of the corner of my eye.

'What do you think of Torchwood, Bella?' She asked me, ignoring Jack. 'Do you believe it all?'

I waited for a moment to answer, debating over why she was asking. 'I think it's good, what you do...it's really good.' I told her, and it was true. Yes, they were planning to kill me just a minute ago but also, these two people defended the earth from alien attack – that warranted at least a little respect.

'You believe it?' She repeated, almost as if she couldn't believe that I trusted what they were saying.

I nodded again. 'Yeah, I do.' I replied. 'Why shouldn't I after what's happened?' I added in a quieter voice, the image of crackling fires and thick black smoke flashing in front of my butterscotch eyes.

I saw Gwen frown, a flicker of interest crossing her eyes. 'What happened?'

My lips tightened at her question and my whole body tensed, my eyes cast downwards. 'There was a family, or _cult_, for want of a better word.' I began to explain roughly, venom building in my mouth as I thought of the Maleficus – the ones who had _murdered_ my family.

'And...They killed everyone. My family, my friends, my...cousins.' I said, talking about the Cullens, the Quileutes and the Denalis – all innocent people who didn't deserve to die. At that thought, the hole in my chest ripped a little further, deepening the loneliness I was condemned to.

'Why didn't you get killed?' The question came from Jack to my left and I glanced over at him, swallowing the lethal venom in my mouth.

'I was supposed to die too. But somehow...I escaped. I should have died.' I admitted, aware that I shouldn't be standing there; I should be a mere pile of ashes, just like everyone I loved.

Gwen looked up at me and I could have sworn there were tears behind her dark brown eyes. 'I'm sorry, Bella.' She told me genuinely, her tone reflecting some loss of her own.

* * *

There was a hanging silence for a minute after that, all of us reeling back to the separate ghosts of our haunted pasts before Jack's voice cut through the stillness.

'Hey, Bella, I've got a proposition for you.'

I turned to face Jack again, crossing my arms across my chest after realising I'd been stood stone still for far too long. 'Yes?'

'What would you say to a job here at Torchwood?' He offered, running a hand through his chestnut hair.

'Work? Here? For Torchwood?' I couldn't believe it; they were offering me a job?

He nodded, the wide smile returning. 'Yeah, I figure we could use another pair of hands. And it looks like you can handle the job. What do you say?'

I frowned, remembering how they'd been intent on poisoning me not too long ago. 'Hold on, you wanted to poison me earlier.'

To my surprise – he laughed. 'No, Bella. We wouldn't have poisoned you.'

'We'd have given you an amnesia pill, just to make you forget.' Gwen explained, smiling too now.

'Oh.' I said, nodding. 'Right, ok.' I could understand that, why I hadn't thought of it before was beyond me. However that was the problem with my kind, we're easily distracted – and a secret institute dealing with aliens was distraction enough.

'So, now we've established we weren't going to kill you, how about it?'

I thought for a moment, considering everything I'd been through and what I was going to do now I was in Cardiff. Finally, I thought about what Edward would want me to do...and right there, I had my answer.

'Um...why not?' I said, finally deciding that this was most probably the best thing I could do with my life. Having a vampire on the team (though they would never find out) could be useful for Torchwood.

'Yeah, go on then.' I said again, forcing my lips into a small smile – tiny, but a smile nonetheless.

Jack's smile grew into a grin and he handed me a small telephone earpiece. 'Welcome to Torchwood, Bella.'

* * *

_We are Broken_

_What must we do to restore_

_Our innocence and all the promise we adored?_

_Give us life again_

_Because we just want to be whole_

* * *

_**Thank you for reading and please leave me a review, they're very much appreciated.**_

_**X =D**_


	3. Shadow of the Day

_**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and subscribed to the story, here's chapter two, entitled after the Linkin Park song 'Shadow of the Day'. Hope you like it. **_

_**Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Chapter 2 – Shadow of the Day**_

* * *

A few hours later Gwen showed me to a small room after Jack had given me a full tour of the Torchwood hub, including the cells. The ghost of the Weevil's hard stare still lingered whenever I chose to blink, the dim light of the underground rooms glinting off its razor sharp teeth. I remember the way it had stared at me – though it was drugged and sedated to a safe doziness, its mad, bottomless eyes still held some form of life, of acknowledgement. I had stared into the crazed eyes of a very much alive alien. Jack was one hundred percent right in saying there was more to this world than anyone could imagine.

There was a single bed in the room with an old, slightly worn chest of drawers at the end. Squished in on the other side, only about two feet from Gwen's bed there was a newly erected camp bed, coated with mismatching blankets and a pillow. The room wasn't at all big, or decorative. The walls were a neutral cream colour and were quite obviously not painted by a professional decorator and the floor was metal, just like the rest of the hub. The whole little room had a very homemade, mismatch feel to it and I guessed that this room hadn't originally been intended to sleep in, nor had it been slept in for long.

'I figured you'd want to sleep here tonight.' She told me, sitting down on her bed.

'Yeah, thanks.' I replied even though I couldn't technically sleep. However that was beside the point, Jack and Gwen were never to find out that I was a vampire, if they did, the consequences would be more than disastrous. The mere thought of Aro, or Caius, Marcus or Jane, with their greedy, bright crimson eyes made me want to shudder.

'Of course you can go back to your flat or wherever you're living tomorrow night, but if you don't want to you can just live here if you want. I do.' She said, making a genuine effort to be friendly. She kind of reminded me of Angela in that sense.

'Can I?' I asked, thinking how much easier it would be if I just stayed here. The truth was I hadn't actually found a place of my own to live in yet; I was still staying at a hotel on the edge of the city. But I could go get the little clothes I had brought with me here to Wales tomorrow and bring them back here.

Gwen nodded. 'Yeah, you're perfectly welcome. I mean I know it's not much, you might be more comfortable at home.' She answered, gesturing to the camp bed.

I shook my head. 'No, it's fine. I'm a good sleeper.' I lied, glad that I actually sounded reasonably convincing ever since I'd been changed – I'd practiced. 'I'll go to bed on rocks and still sleep soundly.'

She smiled and got up. 'Well, I'm going to the bathroom, I need a shower.' She said, moving to the door. 'See you in ten.'

I nodded and watched her go while I removed my coat and the band from my hair, letting it fall in soft mahogany waves around me. A minute later the door opened and I looked up to see Jack slip through the door, his military coat and blue shirt discarded now for a simple white T-Shirt. 'Hey, Bella.'

'Hi.' I replied as he sat down comfortably where Gwen had been sat just a moment before, not sparing a glance for the room and keeping his eyes fixed on me.

'Did Gwen say you could stay as long as you like?' He asked, smiling again.

'Yeah. I'll move in, if that's alright?' I said simply, nodding a little.

'Sure, that's fine. I hate to commute.'

I just nodded again, ignoring his joke and not really knowing what to say. I began to fiddle with the strap of my coat where it was laid across my jean clad knees for want of something better to do – it also made me look more human. We sat like that for a while, silence shrouding us like a thin glass pane, ready to break whenever one of us spoke again.

'I know what it's like, to lose the people you love. I know how you feel.' He said softly, shattering the companionable silence we'd been comfortably sat in up until then.

Oh no. I really didn't want to talk anymore about how I'd lost Edward, Renesmee, Alice, Jacob, Carlisle...all of them. I'd had my year of madness; of overwhelming grief...I'd gone wild and lived practically like a savage, governed by my instincts and loss. I was pushing it away, because that's what he would have wanted me to do. Dredging up painful memories is something no-one likes to do and I had great trouble keeping them away on my own. Everywhere I turned, I was reminded of the Maleficus charging towards us... and then the terrified faces of the people I loved as we realised that this was the one fight we couldn't possibly win. I certainly didn't need to tell all this to Jack.

'You don't know anything about me.' I told him, trying to not make my voice sound overly harsh, but it didn't quite come out right.

'I know enough to know that you're not human.' His quick, sure response came without a moment of hesitation and it shocked me right through to the core.

I gasped in spite of myself and my head shot up – too fast – to look at him in surprise. 'What?' I breathed, panic rising within me. What had given me away? Did he...did he know what I was?

'You're not human.' He stated again, his face giving nothing away. 'I don't know what you are, Bella. But you're not human.' He spoke so assuredly, it scared me.

'How do you know?' I asked, my voice still barely a whisper as I waited still as a statue, not knowing what to do or say.

Jack shrugged. 'You barely batted an eyelid at the mention of aliens. I have no idea how you realised there was someone else here, your skin – it's so hard and cold. Not to mention you're incredibly, inhumanly beautiful.' He said casually, as if we were merely conversing about the weather.

* * *

I stayed silent for a whole minute, grasping at straws as to what to say in reply. 'I'm not a threat to you.' I told him eventually, deciding to reason with him. 'I promise I'm not dangerous to you and I haven't lied. I _did_ lose my family and I was human once...just not anymore.'

'Why can't you tell me what you are?' Jack pushed, his expression still blank, though his eyes had become challenging.

I sighed, pushing my hair back. 'I'm sorry; Jack, but I can't tell you. I swear that if I could then I would, but I _can't_. Please, you just have to trust me. I'm of no danger to you or Torchwood.' I promised.

'Trust you?' He questioned, raising an eyebrow and leaning back, crossing his arms. 'Bella, you just admitted you're not human but you say you can't tell me what you are. And then you're just asking me to trust that you're not dangerous to Torchwood.'

I sighed again and looked at him – really looked at him, right in the eyes. 'Jack, I promise I'm not a threat to you or Gwen, I swear. Please, you just have to trust me on this.' I told him, my voice pleading now slightly.

He looked as if he was thinking for a moment before he finally nodded. 'Ok, I'll trust you, Bella.' He replied mildly, taking a chance on trusting my promise. 'You've been pretty honest with me; I doubt you're even capable of lying about anything big – not like some people I've hired.' He let out a small chuckle that seemed to lighten the mood a little. 'I mean look at Susie, ugh. Boy, didn't she have us all fooled.'

I gave him a small smile, not troubling to ask who Susie was. I was just glad my immortality was no longer at risk of being exposed. 'Thank you...for trusting me.' I said gratefully.

'No problem, Bella. And...There's probably something I should tell you.' He started, and I could have sworn I detected a note of apprehension in his voice.

'What?' I asked, crossing one leg over the other to keep up the human charade, even though he knew that wasn't the case.

'Well, I think I better tell you because I didn't tell anyone else and then when they eventually found out they got pretty freaked, so...here goes.' He trailed off to take a breath. 'I can't die.'

I was shocked – which in itself shocked me. My mind raced as I tried to fathom how he couldn't die. 'Ever?' I questioned.

He shrugged. 'I don't know if it'll ever stop, but I just can't die. Something happened to me a little while back and since then – I won't die. If you shot me now I'd go down and I'd bleed the same, but then, just as fast I'd be healed, right as rain within ten minutes.' He spoke as if not being able to die was burden or curse, one that he didn't want to have. Regret coloured his tone at every word.

'How...?' I asked, knowing he knew what I meant.

'It's a long, very complicated story that I still don't completely understand myself, but the fact of the matter is that I can't die – so far anyway.' He told me, the joking undertone returning to his voice as he leant forward and stood up. 'I better go anyway, Bella. Sleep well.'

I nodded, avoiding the subject of sleeping. 'Yeah, see you in the morning.'

* * *

He left me alone then in the dimly lit room, my eyes still able to pick out every intricate detail of the beds, the floor, walls and chest of drawers. His confession remained at the forefront of my mind; I couldn't believe that he – in effect – was an immortal, just like me.

'Damn water went cold again.'

At the voice, I looked up to see Gwen, dressed now in black cotton pyjama bottoms and an old grey T-shirt, pulling a brush through her wet hair. 'It does that sometimes, I can't believe we're in a water tower and the hot water runs out.' She complained, sitting down on the bed and pulling her knees up under her chin.

I gave her another of my small, half-felt smiles. 'Jack's just been telling me about how he can't die.'

Gwen smiled and got in under the covers before sitting up again with her knees under her chin, leaning against the wall behind her head. 'Oh right, freaky huh?'

I nodded. 'Yeah, freaky.'

Gwen looked down at her knees and sighed, a dubious expression taking over her face. 'I think he's a bit tired of living forever, but...I'm glad he can't die.'

I frowned, I hadn't really seen Jack and Gwen's interaction with each other but I'd just assumed their relationship was purely professional, maybe I was wrong. 'Why?'

She kept her eyes cast downwards though I could see her bite her lip a little. 'Because otherwise...I'd have no-one. Jack was there when Rhys and Ianto died, if he _had_ been able to die, then he would have died with them and I'd be left alone with no husband and no job. I'm glad that he at least survived.'

'Who was your husband, Rhys or Ianto?' I asked softly, wondering why she was telling all this to me. I certainly didn't like to talk about my family; it only reminded me of how I would never, ever see them again.

'Rhys.' She said and I watched a small, solitary tear slip from her right eye and roll down her cheek, dripping off her jaw and onto her T-shirt. 'He was gorgeous, the best husband anyone could have wished for. Ianto was...kind of Jack's boyfriend, he worked here too.'

If I had been human, I'd have probably choked on my breath and stuttered incomprehensibly, but I wasn't human, so I didn't. It was just ever since I'd met him, I'd had Jack down as a bit of a flirt, a hit with the ladies. 'Jack's gay?'

Gwen looked up at me and smiled. 'Yeah, but he's straight too. If you get what I mean, he'll go for anything he likes.'

I smiled back and nodded. 'I get you. And I'm sorry, about Rhys.' I told her gently when she put her head back down again, a saddened air infiltrating the mood.

'It's alright...he was trying to save the world. But he just...went about it in the wrong way.'

'What happened to him and Ianto? You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to.' I said, getting under the blankets on the camp bed and sitting up also, leaning my shoulder against the wall so I was facing her.

* * *

She looked up at me then, pushing her wet hair behind her ears. 'Do you remember about eight months ago, it was all over the news across the world? The children began speaking in unison and saying things, these aliens called the 4,5,6 were speaking through them.'

I shook my head, struggling to remember such an occurrence though I knew I wouldn't be able to. I knew exactly where I had been eight months ago, I'd been somewhere in the wilderness of Canada, far away from any civilisation and definitely hadn't seen any news broadcasts – to do with aliens speaking through children or otherwise. 'No, sorry. For about a year I've kind of been....away, it's hard to explain but after my family died I didn't take it well at all. I didn't have any human contact for a whole year.'

She frowned but carried on with her story, sadness and underlying grief tainting every word. 'Well these aliens, they...they wanted ten percent of the earth's children or otherwise they'd wipe out the whole population. The United Nations thought they didn't have any choice but to go through with it.'

'What did they want the children for?' I asked, wondering for what purpose aliens would want innocent human children.

She bit her lip and sighed sadly. 'They wanted them because...I know this is horrible but they wanted them because apparently they let off chemicals that they liked to breathe in, the same way as some humans like cigarettes. They wanted the children for _drugs_.' She explained in a disgusted tone, her mouth twisting around the last word unpleasantly.

'Drugs?' I asked unbelievably. That was...that was horrid. _Drugs_. They'd wanted to take ten percent of the entire earths children just because they wanted a fix?

Gwen nodded, looking at me. 'I know, it's horrible. But...like I said, the United Nations didn't have anywhere to turn, they started deciding how to choose which children they would hand over.'

I gasped. 'And the parents and everyone just agreed to this to save themselves?'

She shook her head. 'No, the government lied; they said the children were being taken to be vaccinated so they'd stop talking in unison. We were the only ones who knew the truth – we'd infiltrated the networks, the MI5 building, the House of Commons – everywhere basically.' She told me, her eyes still moist and I could imagine the tears she was fighting back.

'We eventually ended up fighting the 4,5,6 and the United Nations, purely because they wouldn't back down and help us go against the 4,5,6 rather than go with them. We won in the end, we destroyed the 4,5,6...but at great loss, as you know.'

I nodded. I'd forgotten the story didn't have a happy ending. 'How did you win?'

'We had a sort of radio frequency that needed to be transmitted through a child...but we only found that out at last minute, transmitting the frequency would destroy the 4,5,6...but also the child who transmitted it. We only had so much time left to us and the only child in the building was little Steven Carter.' She said before she dropped the bomb. 'Jack's grandson.'

My eyes actually widened and my mouth fell open. 'Grandson?'

'Yes. His mother – Alice Carter, her screaming...it was unbearable.' She told me, trailing off into a shudder, her head shaking as more tears slipped from both her eyes.

'But before that even happened...Jack went to threaten the 4,5,6 where they were enclosed in the MI5 building, Ianto and Rhys went with him and, and...' She broke off into sobs now that slowly grew louder, wracking through her body and shaking her.

'Gwen.' I gasped, reaching out and putting my hand on her shoulder where she was least likely to feel the iciness of my hard skin. 'It's ok, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me.' I said softly as she began to calm down a little.

'N-no...it's...it's alright. I want to tell you...they went w-with him but they hadn't thought it through properly, they were just being brave and...The 4,5,6 deadlocked the building and released a deadly virus. It killed everyone inside. Everyone that is, except Jack...'

* * *

The sobbing had completely ceased now, the last of her tears becoming moist patches on her cheeks. Instead her eyes had become hard and her lip trembled slightly. 'He was just trying to save everyone.' She whispered, shaking her head. 'He shouldn't have died, neither of them.'

She fell into silence after that, putting her head on the pillow, her eyes remaining open but staring at the floor. I looked at her for a while, making sure she was ok while her story floated around my mind as I thought about what she had said. It was horrible...I couldn't think of another word for it. The United Nations giving in to them, handing over the earth's children...and Gwen's husband and Jack's kind-of boyfriend dying in order to save them...It was truly, harrowingly horrible.

'I'm sorry, Gwen.' I told her quietly, lying down too with my head facing her. 'I'm so sorry.'

Her eyes moved to look at me sadly. 'What about your family, what were they like?' She asked in a voice so quiet, I wasn't sure human ears would hear it properly.

'My family?'

She nodded and bit her lip. 'Yeah, what were they like?'

I closed my eyes, summoning up the images of the people I loved and smiling slightly, letting my mind rest in a small haven where they were...I told her about them, about them all. Letting myself believe for a few blissful hours that they were still alive, that they were still in Forks – waiting for me.

I told her about how I'd met Edward at high school, how I'd thought he was good at everything and how beautiful he was. I told her about Carlisle and Esme, how loving and generous they were and how Esme was the best mother in law anyone could wish for. I told her about the time Alice had taken me shopping and had accidently forgot to take her purse in her excitement, about how Emmett had organized a massive baseball tournament with the whole family. I told her about Renesmee and how gorgeous she was, about how she could read so well and her boyfriend – Jacob was the most brilliant friend in the world and about how perfect he was for her – providing he didn't call her Nessie. I told her about _everything_.

But then when I'd finished and I'd run out of things to say, my stories of the people I loved exhausted. I came crashing back down to earth and reality with a loud and painful bang, realisation crushing the peaceful dream I'd pretended was real. Because they weren't alive, they weren't waiting for me in Forks. And we were never going to be together again.

* * *

I lay on my back in silence just as she had, my eyes hard and venom coming into my mouth as I was filled with all the hatred towards the Maleficus – the people who had taken them away from me.

'I'm not human.' I whispered suddenly, rolling onto my side to face her again. I saw her eyes widen as she stared at me in shock.

'What?'

'I'm not human.' I repeated softly, looking her in the eye. 'I was once...but I changed. My family weren't human either.'

'But...' She seemed to be at a loss, which I could understand. What was she supposed to say? 'Does Jack know?'

I nodded. 'Yeah, that's what we were talking about too, he guessed.'

She shook her head disbelievingly, blinking in confusion. 'You're...you're not human?'

'No...But like I said to Jack, I can't tell you what I am. You're just going to have to trust me.' I said carefully, waiting for her reaction. For her to scream for Jack, for her to shrink away from me. But then – she dealt with aliens, maybe she – like me – was good with weird.

'You...can't tell me?'

I shook my head. 'No, but I promise I'm not dangerous to you, or a threat to Torchwood. I promise.' I told her sincerely, hoping she would trust me like Jack had, but maybe that would be asking too much. I hadn't expected Jack to trust me.

'Then I'll trust you, Bella.'

I was once again shocked. 'Just like that?'

She nodded. 'Just like that. You wouldn't lie there and tell me all that if you wanted to hurt me.'

'Really?' I checked, relaxing a little.

'Really, Bella. Now I'm gonna go to sleep, crying always makes me tired.' She said. And sure enough, there was a long yawn to back up her statement.

'Ok, sleep well.' I told her, rolling over onto my other side so she wouldn't realise that I wasn't sleeping.

A few minutes later, I could hear her heavy breathing and knew she was asleep, her mind protected from the cruel essence of real life. Mine however, remained open as I thought of all she had told me about her husband, about the 4,5,6 and about Torchwood. It was a dangerous job, and it required sacrifice – sometimes of life. Maybe this was right where I was supposed to be. It was unfair – cruel really that I should still be here, rather than a scattered pile of ashes, forgotten by the wind. The sun had gone down for those I loved, the candle extinguished, light gone out. But I was still here, in the harsh grey shadow of reality. But maybe Torchwood was the best place to be – a place where my immortality and inability to get hurt was an advantage, rather than a burden.

* * *

_And the sun will set for you_

_The sun will set for you_

_And the shadow of the day_

_Will embrace the world in grey_

_And the sun will set for you_

* * *

_**Thanks for reading and please review and leave me your thoughts and comments. The proper plot will be starting next chapter.**_

_**X =D**_


	4. Sunday Bloody Sunday

_**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, subscribed and favourited, every email makes me smile so thank you. I think the song for this chapter was originally done by U2 but Paramore also made a version of it, or it might be the other way around. Either way, enjoy the chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter Three – Sunday Bloody Sunday**_

* * *

'Bella, pull your coat on, we're going out.' Jack told me cheerfully as he strode past, grabbing his own navy military coat and putting it on. I wondered where he had got it from; it just looked so authentic – so real...I figured I would have to ask him one day, after all, we did quite literally have forever.

I nodded and fetched the same grey trench coat from the day before, I had already gone to collect my things from the hotel and checked out, the clothes were still in their case, shoved carelessly under my camp bed. 'What's going on?' I asked as Gwen seemed to be rushing while she pulled on her leather jacket and adjusted her telephone device around her ear. I raised a hand to my own to check that it was on, though I knew it was.

'We have tracers around the city that pick up non-human activity and one went off not far from here a few minutes ago, we're going to check it out.' She told me hurriedly, quickly pulling open a drawer, whipping out three small revolvers and throwing one to Jack and another to me, which I of course caught thanks to my much improved hand-eye coordination. 'Just in case.' She told me as I frowned at the object in my hand.

I nodded and stowed it away inside my coat, knowing full well that I wouldn't have to use it. The small bullets inside the gun were absolutely nothing compared to my inhuman strength and speed, not to mention the venom coating my gleaming white teeth. 'Ok, ready.'

Jack was already making his way out down the long passage I had come down for the first time yesterday, Gwen and I quickly followed though I could have gone faster...a lot faster. Once we were outside, we were greeted by a harsh sea wind that blew my hair around my face and drifted both Jack and Gwen's warm, sweet scents towards me. My throat burned but I swallowed the venom and held my breath, knowing that I could resist the blood all too easily. I'd been fine on the crowded flight over here, and that was the worst I'd ever experienced. There had just been so many people all in such a warm, small place.

* * *

For a while I thought we were just walking but when we rounded a corner my eyes took in a large, shiny, black SUV that just screamed expensive. Edward would have loved it.

'You'll have to sit in the back, Bella. That alright?' Jack asked me, pulling out his keys and unlocking the monster of a vehicle.

'Yeah, sure.' I agreed, getting in the back while Jack made himself at home in the driver's seat, Gwen climbing in beside him and putting her seatbelt on. My eyes shot around the car's interior, taking in the advanced mini-computers and hi-tech tracking systems.

'Buckle in.' Jack reminded me with a grin before taking the key in the ignition and stamping on the accelerator. I reached for the seatbelt and clicked it into place, though any sort of car crash wouldn't do anything to damage my stone hard, unbreakable body. We roared through the quiet Cardiff streets and past the shops that were mostly closed, excluding the seven days a week supermarket. We went on at top speed, pre-occupied supermarket shoppers flashing by the heavily tinted windows, most probably wondering where such a flash four by four was going on a Sunday at this speed.

We came to an abrupt stop outside an average looking semi-detached house on a perfectly normal residential street. There were even people filing out from Sunday service down at the church on the corner. We got out of the SUV and walked towards it, a bleeping coming from behind me to signal that Jack had locked it.

'So, this is where you got the trace?' I asked, looking at the ordinary house as Jack pushed open the front gate.

'Yep. Come on; let's see what's going on.' Jack confirmed, holding the little gate open for us and nudging the wet leaves off the path with his feet, they must have been blown off the trees by the strong wind still howling around us. We reached the front door and Gwen brought a hand up to knock on the door smartly. We waited a moment, but there was no sign of life coming from the house, I couldn't hear any movement or even breathing...something I took to be a bad sign.

'Here, let me.' Jack said, stepping forward to insert a strange device into the keyhole. There was a quiet clunk and the door was opened until it stood ajar, a small slither of the brown carpet inside on display.

But what I could see wasn't the problem, that wasn't the reason my whole body tensed and my fists clenched, a snarl almost ripping from behind my teeth. It was the _smell_. The strong, wet and warm smell of blood coming from the house was mouth-wateringly overwhelming, I felt like a red hot poker was being thrust down my throat and though I had only hunted a couple of days before, I now felt ravenous...

I rushed forward, moving slightly too fast, and pushed the door open wider, swiftly mounting the stairs and gliding quickly to where the irresistible scent was coming from. I knew what room I needed...the blood was inside, a _lot_ of blood but just as I was about to open the door...I stopped. I stopped and composed myself, and I held my breath.

* * *

The first thing my eyes rested on was the corner of the duvet that was slightly hanging off the edge of the double bed. The corner of the duvet had quite obviously once been a snowy white colour, but was now stained an ugly dark crimson colour and was soaked through in warm, fresh blood. It dripped slowly from that corner like water from a tap down onto the thick, creamy carpet, where a moist pool of the red liquid was gathering.

From that small, blood coated corner, my shocked eyes moved across to take in the rest of the bed as if in slow motion. The rest of the bed, like that little corner, was completely coated, soaked and dripping with blood; it was like something out of a bad horror movie...though this was real, one hundred percent real. And limply lying diagonally across the bed was the source of all the sickly devastation.

Her face was tragically beautiful with clear skin, smooth lips and closed eyes framed by thick lashes. Her young face was surrounded by long, burgundy coloured hair that must have been dyed that shade. However, her attractive face was horribly marred by the thick, dark makeup surrounding her eyes right up to the eyebrows; it was only due to my sensitive eyes that I could pick out her eyelashes at all. She was what you would call a Goth. But the thing that marred her beauty most of all was the steady stream of blood flowing from a deep stab wound in her neck into her hair, clumping it into matted knots.

Looking at the rest of her body, the saddening tale continued. A bloodied trail of seven deep stab wounds littered her torso, the blood from the open wounds seeping into the pure white of the bedclothes and matching the red top she wore. The whole dramatic image was just devastating and I was filled with rage at the malicious person who had so brutally massacred this poor woman. Well, not person...more _vampire_. Because a human hadn't done this, oh no. It was all too clear that this was the work of a vampire, and one that could resist human blood at that...so not a newborn, then.

It was the way she lay, a perfect diagonal across the bed...the stab wounds were all in a perfect zigzag down her body, each one the same depth and width as the others. The arrangement was too precise, the way she had been killed too planned. This was a vampire's doing and I swore to myself on the spot that somehow, I would find out who.

'Oh my God.' I heard Gwen whisper behind me.

I nodded, my eyes not moving from the dead woman's body. 'It's horrible.'

'Yes, Bella. But look at the _wall_.'

I did as she said and slowly looked up at the white wall behind the blood spattered bed and gasped, my whole body going into shock.

In blood red, glistening, perfectly neat and cursive letters contrasting darkly against the wall, there was a terrifying message.

'_Found you, Mrs Cullen.'_

* * *

They'd realised, they'd realised that I had escaped their notice and that I had managed to run away. They'd tracked me down, followed me, watched me...I was caught. And all this...this whole torturing, frightening scene was all just a beacon, a bloodied beacon constructed merely to capture my attention and as a warning...a warning that I would not get out of this alive.

'Bella...' Jack began slowly behind me and I turned to see him gently reaching out a hand, his eyes still fixed on the writing behind my head. 'I think you should come out and talk to us now.'

I nodded silently, following him out into the hallway where Gwen was leaning against the wall, her eyes shut, the nausea practically rolling off her.

The door to the bedroom shut behind me and Jack turned to me, his face serious. 'Care to explain?' He asked softly, though I could see it was taking a lot to hide the worry in his voice. Not worry for me...worry for Gwen and himself, worry for Torchwood. Because it looked now like I had enemies, and vicious ones at that.

'The Maleficus.' I told him in a terrified whisper. 'They've found me.'

'Bella, who are the Maleficus? Tell us the truth, this is serious, Bella. A woman has been killed and a message was left on the wall, a message for _you_. Now just explain.' He kept his voice calm, being careful not to accuse me of anything; I think he could see the fear behind my eyes.

'The Maleficus are the family that murdered mine, I say family but they're more of a clan...not so tightly knitted and definitely not related. Like I said, I was meant to be killed too...but I escaped.' I told him quietly, my head racing at one hundred miles per hour...I had to get out of here, I had to get far away from Torchwood. If they planned on killing me, they would use Torchwood to get to me, I knew it.

* * *

'I have to leave, I have to get away from you, I can't put you in danger.' I started saying quickly, my thoughts still rushing around my mind. 'They'll use you to get to me, I have to go.'

Jack whipped out an arm, pulling me back though I knew I could resist if I needed to. 'Wait, Bella. Think about this for one minute. If they killed that woman as a sign for you, then they knew Torchwood would come running because I'm guessing that like you, they're not human, right?'

I nodded slowly, biting my lip and glancing at Gwen. She was still in the same position with her eyes closed, breathing through her mouth but it was clear that she was listening intently.

'Then think, Bella. What does that mean?'

My eyes widened suddenly and my mouth did all but drop open as the fear for the two people beside me heightened even more. 'They know about Torchwood.' I breathed, fear staining each word.

'They know about Torchwood.' He repeated with a grim nod. 'So how does you running away solve anything? I saw how fast you got up here, Bella and I saw you clear the stairs in one leap. I'm going to wager that Torchwood is better protected from these unknown enemies with you around.'

I shook my head insistently. I couldn't stay around here; I couldn't put them in danger. Not when I promised I wasn't a threat to them. 'No, I promised I wasn't a danger to you but I am now. I have to leave, Jack.'

He shook his head too, his grip on my arm tightening to no effect. 'Bella, if you go now we are worse off than if you stayed. If we have any hope of defeating whoever these monstrous people are, we're going to need your knowledge and whatever else you have.' He told me, imploring now.

'And trust me, Bella. We are going to try defeat them, Torchwood doesn't run away and hide, Torchwood fights because it has no other option. We're here to protect the public, and a member of the public has been killed. So whether you go or not, we will still fight. Now are you still going?' He challenged, his voice low.

I shook my head, knowing there wasn't another choice. I couldn't leave and let them practically commit suicide. 'I'll stay.' I replied quietly, hating being stuck between a rock and a hard place, but Jack was right; Torchwood was safer with me around. Not safe...but _safer._

* * *

He smiled then, something I thought was highly inappropriate to the circumstances. 'Good.' He said, dropping his hand from my arm. 'Now, we need to find out as much about this woman as possible and why the Maleficus chose her specifically, there might be more to it. Gwen, search the rooms and see if you can find anything. Bella, go check the computer in the study and I need to teleport the body back to the hub for examination.'

We all nodded and went away, but just as I reached what must be the study door I paused, turning back to where Jack was fiddling with the small teleport device he had shown me this morning. 'Jack?'

He looked up at me. 'Yes?'

'The Maleficus, they're not just inhuman....' I started, trying to think how best to put this without giving myself away. 'They're incredibly powerful, they each have different talents that make them practically invincible and they're all amazingly fast and strong. Don't underestimate what you're getting yourself into.' I warned.

He just stared at me for a minute before speaking. 'Do you think by telling me how dangerous they are, I'm going to stop? I told you, Bella, Torchwood have to fight against these threats for the good of the world, we have no choice. I know it's dangerous and I know it's not going to be easy. But don't you see, I can't just send you away and let them kill you. They have to be destroyed before they harm anyone else.'

He had to do this for the world's population; he had to protect them from these people who he knew were dangerous. I could understand that. I nodded. 'Ok, I just thought you should know.'

'I know, Bella. But while you say I shouldn't underestimate the Maleficus, don't you underestimate Torchwood, we've kicked butt many a time before when it looked impossible.' He said, joking again.

'Right, I'll remember that.' I replied, forcing out a half smile that I really didn't want to give. I felt like ripping this whole house down and erasing everything that had happened here. But instead I turned and walked into the small study, shutting the door behind me.

I'd gone and done it again. I was like a danger magnet, I hated myself. I made people lay down their lives to help me, to fight against enemies that weren't theirs to fight. I thought that maybe all that would stop, but now it had come back again. How many people would die in my name? How many people would I unintentionally ensnare into the dark hell that I call my life? But the bloodied trail of death continued even here in Cardiff.

Without meaning to, I had now but two more innocent humans in peril, I had come here, joined Torchwood and within twenty-four hours of making it, had broken my promise. I was just a re-occurring disaster waiting to happen, dragging the poor souls who tried to protect me down to where they couldn't climb back up again. Now Jack and Gwen would die trying to fight the unbeatable Maleficus.

I truly, truly hated myself. But I couldn't do anything, I was trapped. Because Jack was bound too, he had a job to do; he had to eliminate the threat that wanted to kill me. We were all just trapped in a tightly woven web of imminent death. And it was all my fault. How many people were going to die because of my stupid existence on this planet?

* * *

_And the battle's just begun_

_There's many lost but tell me who has won?_

_The trench is dug within our hearts_

_And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart._

_Sunday, Bloody Sunday _

_Sunday, Bloody Sunday_

_How long, how long must we sing this song?_

* * *

_**Thanks for reading and please review and leave me your thoughts and comments, every single one is very much appreciated. **_

_**X =D**_


	5. A Place in this World

_**Here's the next chapter, named after a Taylor Swift song. Hope you like it and please review.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Chapter Four – A Place in this World**_

* * *

I sighed and got to work, casting my eyes around the small, cramped office. The cheap shutter blinds hadn't been opened, so now the weak sunlight outside filtered through the thin gaps and scattered as fragmented shards of light across the shadowed room and highlighted the dust swirling lazily in the thick air.

I turned automatically to the old grey computer that sat on the desk, its small screen smeared and murky. My hand darted out, quick as a flash to hit the _'on'_ button and the computer wheezed into life, a low humming sound emitting and vibrating across the room. After a few quiet minutes, the ancient monitor blared into life, showing a light blue screen, asking me to type a password in.

Smiling slightly, I dropped into the faded swivel chair in front of the computer and pulled the keyboard towards me, ignoring the scraping sound it made across the thin, chipped wood of the desk. Simple password security devices were no match for me. My pale fingers moved over the keyboard so fast that only my quick eyes would be able to keep up as I hacked into the computer – a trick Emmett had showed me about a year after I'd joined the Cullens.

A few short seconds later, I leant back as the desktop screen loaded with all the young woman's programs and settings; I waited until I knew it was done before resting my hand over the mouse and going to open her documents, I thought that would most likely be the best place to start.

I felt like I was intruding, first hacking past a password then opening a stranger's private documents and every click seemed a little wrong. But I kept shaking my head, telling myself that I had a job to do. The woman was dead, and she was dead because of me – that in my mind meant that I was the one responsible for bringing justice to her killers – The Maleficus. Or more rightly, Evanna. The only member of the clan that I knew would be able to do something so treacherous and remain undetected. There had been no scent in the room apart from the woman's and only Evanna had the skills needed to cover that up.

I paused for a moment, as the horrifying memory of her charging towards my little girl came back to me....she'd reached my beautiful Renesmee in a matter of seconds, a flurry of long black hair and glinting, crimson eyes. And nothing that Jacob could do to protect her worked, Evanna was like a mad woman, ripping and tearing – her black hair whipping around her face as the dull light glinted off her bared teeth...

I shuddered and drew myself out of the torturing memory, telling myself that it did no good to become masochistic about things. Instead, I turned my attention back to the Technicolor screen, so much more illuminated and colourful in my eyes than a human's.

* * *

It was obvious she didn't use the ancient computer much, there were only five documents here and they were all at least a year old. Four of them seemed to be letters that she had typed up to send to people from the name; I opened them quickly to see my guess confirmed before closing them down. I would not read a dead woman's letters. If Jack wanted to know what was in them, he could read through them himself. Then, the bottom document caught my eye. It was her CV; she must have typed it up for applying to a job or something.

I opened it up and looked at it carefully, reading her name, date of birth and qualifications. She was young as I thought, very young in my mind though I wasn't much older. Just twenty-three years old now, she'd only lived twenty-three short years before meeting her untimely end.

I was once again gripped by the torturing guilt from before. _23 years old_. The innocent, black font on the screen seemed to increase until it was the only thing I could see, swimming before my eyes as for the first time in my immortal life – I felt physically sick. It was my fault she had died; I had killed a woman before she even managed to get a sure grip on life..._Twenty-three years old_... I hated myself all over again.

* * *

I blinked, the screen returned to normal and the offending number shrank back to normal size in my unconscious brain. Suddenly, I heard a creak behind me and I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Jack peering in. His now familiar scent crept into the room, swirling around me and burning my throat in a way I had somehow grown used to.

'Grace Taylor, well a name certainly helps.' He remarked, looking at the computer screen. 'Did quite well at school, got good A-levels, especially in art, hm...great work, Bella.'

I nodded blankly, closing the document down and feeling relieved to see the plain black desktop screen again. 'What did you find?' I asked, glad I was able to keep my voice even.

'Gwen found a load of boxes with papers of what look like minutes for some kind of meetings and things, we'll have a better look when we get back. We also found her purse, not much in there really. Just a little cash and a picture of a guy. No credit cards.' He told me, reaching into his pocket to show me the photo.

I looked at the young man smiling up at me. His hair was a blue/black shade and a silver ring cut through his bottom lip. I couldn't see his eyes much due to the jagged fringe falling across them. 'Boyfriend, perhaps?' I suggested quietly, as the hate for myself grew. The woman whose cruel death I was responsible for seemed all the more real now...she had a name, an age, qualifications...maybe even a boyfriend. But I'd cut all that off as easily as pulling out a plug in the bath, I had stopped this innocent woman's life in its tracks.

'That's what Gwen said, anyway we're gonna head back now.'

I nodded and reached down to turn the computer off, not bothering to shut it down properly and stood up, eager to be out of the musty room that now seemed to be haunted with little details of Grace Taylor's now non-existent life. A discarded eyeliner pencil that was laid on the windowsill, its cap missing. An old notepad with a biro lying across it, a shopping list scrawled there in joined handwriting. The nondescript snack wrappers clustered in the tiny waste bin under the desk. A dark stain on the thin beige carpet where she might have spilt some coffee or tea a long time ago. A broken necklace perched on the edge of the desk, waiting to be fixed...yet now doomed never to be.

These were all little things that just echoed the missing presence of their owner, the owner that now lay in the Torchwood hub where Jack had quickly teleported her for examination earlier. An owner whose blood was smeared across her bedroom wall as a vile, threatening warning for me...An owner who was dead...because of me.

* * *

'Bella, come on.' Jack said.

I turned to him, noticing that I'd been stood there, stock still and silent for a while just staring at all the little tokens and pieces of evidence that showed the life of the young woman who had so unjustly died here.

'I'm coming.' I muttered, turning my back on the room and firmly shutting the door on the plaguing ghosts it contained. I followed Jack down the stairs to where Gwen was waiting, a cardboard box in her arms.

'I got it all in here, Jack.' She told him, nodding with her head to the box she held with both hands.

'Great, let's go have a look at all this. Bella found a name and age, she was twenty-three and her name was Grace Taylor.' Jack replied, opening the front door and letting Gwen go out first, then me and finally he followed, making sure the door was shut behind him.

We made our way slowly down the path covered in wet leaves, caught behind Gwen who was slowed down due to the heavy box in her arms. 'Here, do you want me to take that?' I offered, holding both hands out for the box, though I would have no trouble balancing it on the end of one finger.

'Are you sure?' She asked, though she was already holding it out to me.

I nodded and smiled, taking it from her. 'Yeah, no problem.'

We reached the gate and slipped out, crossing the road over to the large SUV. I got in the back as before and put the box down on the seat next to me, reaching for my seatbelt before Jack had to remind me. He stepped on the gas as soon as we were all in and we raced away from the house where such evil had been committed. I looked back as it disappeared around the corner, though the image of Grace Taylor, laid on her bed with those perfectly formed stab wounds in a precise zigzag across her body was something that would be imprinted into my brain forever like an unwanted tattoo.

* * *

'Gwen, I want you to look Miss Taylor up on the database, I want to know everything about her. Bella, I want you looking through that box, try and make head and tail of it all. And as for me, I've got a body to examine.' Jack commanded as soon as we were back and he shrugged off his coat, rolling up the sleeves of his light blue shirt.

Gwen nodded and sat down at the nearest computer, typing away at some program I didn't recognise. 'Ok.' I said, more to myself than to Jack, who had already vanished.

I walked over to the table where the box sat abandoned, waiting for me to discover its contents. I perched on the edge of the table and dragged it towards me, taking in the piece of paper that lay on top.

It was quite decorative – grey and white with a marbled effect, written on in black ink rather than being typed on. As Jack had said, they seemed to be minutes for a meeting, but I just couldn't figure them out. There were entries such as 'Gabrielle – No involvement yet, seems a little shy, might not come to anything.' What on earth was that supposed to mean? Obviously Grace Taylor had been in some kind of group, but what the group was or what it did was completely beyond even me.

I looked underneath that first sheet of paper and found more of the same, I quickly glanced through them all at inhuman speed and it was still exactly the same – just more minutes, more sheets of grey marbled paper with strange, mysterious entries written on them in neat, black writing. One thing I was sure of however, was that Grace Taylor wasn't mentioned anywhere on these minutes. Nearly all of the names re-occurred on every sheet, but there was nobody called Grace.

It was puzzle, a complete mystery. The entries gave nothing away, they merely said things like 'getting close' or 'looks promising' or even on a few occasions 'successful'. What was I supposed to do with useless information like that? The only small thing I had to go on was the name of the group, but what use was a name? This organisation was hardly going to be on the internet – it did all of its documentation manually for a start. However even the name confused me, it was Latin from what I could tell, but my Latin was still pretty limited, even since becoming immortal it just hadn't been something I'd wanted to learn much about.

I looked around to see Jack still absent, examining Grace's body somewhere and Gwen still busy on the computer. I quickly put all the papers back in the box neatly, making sure they were all there. Perhaps when we'd uncovered a little more about this group, the entries might start to make sense.

I drifted over to a computer and quickly logged on with my new Torchwood password, sitting down as the modern, silver and grey screen came up with icons for a load of programs I hadn't the first notion how to use. I moved the mouse and clicked on the internet icon, surprised at how quickly it loaded up and also at the browser. It was just called Torchwood – they had their own _internet browser_.

I soon found an online translator and typed in the name of this mysterious group – _Infraterra Nox_.

It came up with a few suggestions; it seemed that it wasn't a complete and literal translation. But from what I could gather, the name of this strange organisation for which Grace Taylor held the minutes roughly meant 'Underground Night'.

I frowned, closing down the internet and logging off. _Underground Night..._it still didn't really clear anything up, but maybe I could run a search with the database Gwen was using. I got up and walked over to where Gwen was still tapping away at the keyboard.

* * *

'Gwen?'

She looked up, swivelling her chair around to face me. 'Yeah?'

'Um, I can't gather much from those minutes, they're just so weird, they don't make sense. I have a name of the organisation, or group or whatever they are though. Does that database work for that too?' I asked, feeling a little silly for some reason – like I was asking a teacher how to do something really simple.

Gwen smiled. 'The database is really easy to use, Bella, it'll tell you about anything. It has every single person, important event and insignificant group or organisation in the entire world listed, along with a load of details and information about alien races we've come across. It's basically the best encyclopaedia in the world. Don't ask us how we got that much information, it's a long story.' She explained, taking a drink of her coffee.

My eyes went wide. 'Every single thing in the whole _world_?' I questioned, completely amazed at that concept.

Gwen nodded. 'Yep. It's brilliant, makes our jobs so much easier when you don't have to spend as much time tracking people down. I've done looking up Grace, it turns out she's an artist – has a shop down on a small alley off the main street where she sells her paintings, she looks pretty successful. What's with the papers that are so strange then?'

I sighed pushing my hair back behind an ear. 'They just don't make sense, Gwen. I'll show you.' I told her, going to fetch the top sheet of paper and bringing it back, handing it to her. 'See?'

Her eyes scanned over the piece of paper, a frown appearing on her forehead as she reached the bottom. 'I get what you mean now.' She replied, looking up at me with clear confusion in her expression. 'It doesn't make sense, the entries are too vague.'

I nodded, taking the sheet back. 'There's no mention of Grace in any of them either, which makes you wonder where she got the minutes from and who these people are.'

'Mm...' Gwen said, thinking. 'I'll run a search on that name; do you know what it means?'

'I just looked it up; I think it means something like 'Underground Night', that mean anything to you? Because it doesn't to me.'

Gwen shook her head dubiously, turning back to the computer and typing the Latin name into the database while I watched with interested eyes. As quick as I could run, the results came up on the screen and I leant further forward, eager to see it all.

* * *

Gwen scrolled down while my eyes scanned the information, processing it speedily. 'It's still a little vague...it says something about they're an underground suburban night culture or something, they're interested in the supernatural and things...' She murmured, still reading.

I nodded, thinking back to Grace's Goth – like appearance, and the picture of the man in her purse. Suddenly, a name caught my eye and my hand moved a little too fast to point at the screen. 'Wait!' I exclaimed, her hand immediately stopping on the scroll button.

'What?' She asked, frowning at the screen.

'There, it says the leader of the group is someone called Charlotte Summers, see?' I pointed out, my fingers trailing under the vital piece on information.

'Oh, yeah!' Gwen said, nodding and peering closer. 'I told you this database was brilliant.'

I nodded too, nudging for her to scroll down a little more. At that moment, I suddenly thought about how well we were working together – like a team that had known each other for a long time, it was like I fit into the crew the same was a jigsaw piece fits a puzzle. I shook the thoughts from my mind – it didn't matter, I was glad we got along...like maybe I had some sort of place here.

'It says they meet every Monday night at this nightclub...only, I know the main clubs in this city and I've never heard of that one.' Gwen said, looking puzzled as she frowned at the club's name – Darkness. It was a pretty generic nightclub name, but according to Gwen, she'd never heard of one in Cardiff.

I shrugged as she closed the database down and stood up. 'I suppose we could run a search on her, go find her and ask her about Grace, maybe?' I suggested, thinking it seemed the most logical thing to do.

Gwen nodded. 'Sounds like a good idea, I think we should go see what Jack's found with the body and tell him what's we've found out.'

'Good idea.' I agreed, following her through a door, relief shrouding my mind when I saw that Grace's spoiled body was covered in a white sheet.

'Hey, girls, how's it going?' Jack asked, his voice reasonably cheerful as he took off a pair of plastic gloves with spots of blood on and threw them away, pushing a trolley of medical instruments under a desk and running a hand through his hair, messing it up.

It was only now that I noticed Gwen staring slightly at Jack, an almost dazed look in her eyes as she licked her lips a little bit. I was reminded of Jack's protectiveness and worry about her when he found out I wasn't human...maybe there was more between Gwen and Jack than I had originally thought. But then, weren't they both supposed to be mourning for lost boyfriends and husbands?

Mind you, humans were like that, they could find love even after losing it in such a cruel way. But I knew I'd never be like that, my only chance at love was gone and that was it. There was no-one else in the whole universe to match Edward, and didn't I know it? I'd thought my place in this world was by his side...but now he wasn't here, what was?

* * *

_Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking_

_Trying to see through the rain coming down_

_Even though I'm not the only one who feels the way I do_

_I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know_

_I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on_

_I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world._

* * *

_**Thanks for reading and hope the writing's up to par, tell me if it needs improving. Please review!**_

_**X =D**_


	6. Born For This

_**Thanks for all your reviews last chapter and also to everyone who has subscribed and/or added the story to their favourites list, it really means a lot so thanks! Hope you like this chapter, the song is 'Born for This', but it's actually just the one verse I found that fits this chapter which is at the end. Yes, it's Paramore again, I can't help it – they're amazing!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise**_

_**Chapter 5 – Born for This**_

* * *

'Well, she's an artist. She has a small gallery down on an alley off the high street where she gets a reasonably good income for her paintings and then Bella found out a bit about this organisation thing.' Gwen told him, gesturing to me as she stood back, her eyes still on Jack.

I nodded. 'The minutes don't make sense, they're all too vague and we don't know enough to work them out. But Grace's name doesn't appear anywhere on them, though most of the names are on every sheet.' I started as Jack nodded in understanding and leant back against a wall, crossing his legs at the ankles.

'The group has a Latin name – Infraterra Nox. I looked on the internet, it's not a professional translation or anything but the name kind of means Underground Night, or something like that.' I explained, feeling slightly self-conscious as my light wind-chime voice echoed off the tiled walls of the circular examination room.

'Underground night?' Jack questioned with a frown, uncrossing his legs and shifting his weight to the left. 'Who are they?'

'They're interested in the supernatural and things like that; remember she looked all Gothic and so on?'

Jack nodded. 'Yeah, ok...'

'Me and Gwen had a look on the database and they're like some sort of suburban night culture. They meet every Monday night at this club called Darkness.' I said this bit like a question, looking to see if he recognised the name.

His head came up from looking down and his eyes flickered between me and Gwen. 'Never heard of it.' He said, frowning again. 'Have you, Gwen?'

Gwen shook her head. 'No, I said to Bella I hadn't heard of one in Cardiff. There's Technicolor, Roxy, Deja Vu and that weird chavvy one down near the retail park...but there isn't a Darkness – not in the city centre anyway.'

'We do know that the woman who runs this group is called Charlotte Summers though.' I added. I desperately wanted to get out of the room, the smell had been just about bearable when I'd first entered, but now the warm scent of the woman I had indirectly murdered was beginning to torture my throat. My fingers began to tap impatiently against my leg, almost like a distraction. 'Shall we look her up on the database, perhaps?' I suggested, my voice a little hoarse as I tried not to breathe in too much.

To my relief, Jack nodded and we exited the room, the smell fading away behind me. 'Gwen, you take the computer.' He ordered, though Gwen was already logging on. He went to stand behind her chair, I took this as a sign I should do the same.

'Charlotte Summers... works at the library part-time, originally Scottish but left home at the age of sixteen...' Gwen muttered, scrolling through the information. 'Well the picture goes with the organisation thing.'

Jack leant forward to peer at the small picture of a black haired woman with pale skin, a straight Roman nose and light brown eyes rimmed in dark purple eyeliner. And as he did so, I noticed Gwen visibly stiffen, her mouth freezing before she uttered her next word. Then, when he leant back she seemed to relax and breathe out.

'Is there anything about this club we've never heard of?' I asked her, sure that though it was all pretty unsaid – there was more between Jack and Gwen than a simple working relationship. If Jasper were here, he'd be able to tell me what they were feeling, or better yet...Edward. He'd know what they were thinking, but that aside, he'd be _here_. And not dead.

'Err...' Gwen murmured, scrolling further and leaning forward a little way to look more carefully. We waited in quiet as her eyes darted across the machine before she suddenly exclaimed, 'yes!'

'What?'

'She owns the club.' She said, a hint of surprise in her voice. 'And it's right on the outskirts of the city, that's why we haven't heard of it and she lives in a flat above it which is a little odd but there you go.'

'What's the address? We could go over there and talk to her.' I suggested, running a hand through my thick hair.

'It's on the corner of Howard Street.' Gwen replied, twisting the chair around to look at Jack. 'Maybe we should, Jack. We could ask her about the man in the photo and just general questions about this organisation.'

Jack nodded and I absentmindedly nodded along with him, although my head was beginning to form ideas of its own about Infraterra Nox...

* * *

For the second time that day, the pitch black ebony SUV charged through the Cardiff streets, rustling abandoned papers on the pavement as Jack turned the wheel expertly. There were less people around now, most people were probably at home enjoying there Sunday afternoon with no knowledge of a team of three people desperately trying to solve quite a different murder case. As we got further from the city centre, and closer to the outskirts the buildings became less modern and spaced out. There were small newsagents and dingy off-licences here, rather than the glittering chain shops that resided near the high street. The houses all seemed a little damp and dreary, the terraces especially still looking as though they needed pulling out of war time Britain. I noticed the street sign as we turned on to Howard Street and Jack slowed down as we reached the corner and a large, square concrete building with a single sign on the front above two metal doors.

The sign probably looked quite bright and impressive when it was lit up later, but now it was just a light, faded sign saying quite simply 'Darkness'. There were no posters, admittance rules or boards that gave away what sort of club it was, there were no opening times and no visible entrances, aside from the two front doors.

We all approached the dark metallic doors with frowns on our faces; the club looked derelict, as if it wasn't even in use anymore. But it must be...right? 'That information on the database, is it all up to date?' I asked as we all cast our eyes around the entrance area. We couldn't even see any signs of reaching the flat that was situated above the ground floor.

Jack nodded. 'It automatically updates if the slightest thing changes, it's always accurate.' He answered insistently, as though he were trying to convince himself as well as me.

'Jack, Bella! Over here.' Gwen suddenly called out from the other side of where some of the concrete wall jutted out. 'There's a buzzer and door for the flat.'

We both stopped and rushed around to where Gwen was standing; a small metal buzzer was mounted on the wall next to a perfectly ordinary wooden house door. It looked all so out of place.

Jack stepped up and pressed the buzzer firmly, leaning into the microphone to reply to the 'Hello?' that emitted from the small, crackly speaker.

'Charlotte Summers?' Jack checked, glancing at us while he kept his finger on the button to make the microphone work.

'Uh...yeah, that's me. Who is it?' The voice sounded a little wary and the small note of surprise unnerved me, as if she wasn't used to the name.

'It's a little hard to explain, we're a....special branch of the police, we need to talk to you about a murder.' Jack explained while Gwen nodded and leant over to whisper to me.

'That's what we tell people if we need to question them, just say we're a secret police team. Works every time.'

I nodded. 'Cool.' I muttered as we both turned our attention back to Jack.

'Uh...yeah, um...come up then.'

There was a sound of the door unlocking and Jack gave it a little push, revealing a flight of stairs that no doubt lead up to the flat. 'Ladies first.' He said, letting me and Gwen go through before he shut the door behind us and followed.

* * *

The door at the top was much like the one at the bottom, wooden with a glass window but this time with a doorbell. Gwen pushed it and a single 'ding' sounded from inside. We waited while a dark figure came towards the door and Jack shoved his hands in his pockets.

She looked exactly as she had in the picture, which immediately erased any qualms I'd had about her identity when she'd reacted oddly to the sound of her name. Perfectly straight, shoulder length black hair parted in the middle with a large amount of purple eyeliner drowning out her hazel eyes. Her thin lips were coated in black lipstick and she was dressed in a strange long black dress with full length sleeves underneath a purple corset type garment. She looked like some sort of sorceress in a TV programme set in the dark ages.

'Come in.' She told us, visibly more relaxed now she'd seen us. 'Sorry about the mess.' She added as we followed her into a slightly cluttered lounge. I didn't know what colour wood the coffee table was, it was completely covered in a sea of strange books and magazines with foreign titles. One however, caught my eye. It was an old looking hardback with a crimson cover and on it, an ornate drawing of what was quite obviously a vampire. Blood dripped from its pointed fangs and its eyes were a bright red. It was a pretty accurate drawing, aside from the fangs, our teeth were perfectly normal.

The couch was littered with more magazines and another little table had two empty cups on, as if she hadn't been bothered to wash them up. I felt Gwen nudge me and I looked up to realise that Charlotte was staring at us.

Or rather, she was staring at _me._

* * *

Her eyes were glued to me and seemed to have grown wider in the minute I'd taken to look around. Her black lips were hanging slightly ajar and it seemed she would never blink. I stared back, not knowing what to do or say. Images of the books and magazines now passed through my mind, all of them concerning the Supernatural...but most of them, now I came to think about it properly were about Vampires.

And here I stood, with perfectly pale alabaster skin and inhuman beauty. Add that to the fluid grace of my movements and the accidental speed in which I had looked up... did she suspect what I was? A brief moment of panic swept through me as her eyes seemed to betray her mind thinking, was she trying to work me out? But then... unlike all the unrealistic pictures she had most likely seen and the largely untrue legends she'd probably read, my butterscotch eyes hopefully didn't fit her Vampire image. The operative word being hopefully.

By now, Jack had noticed the tense silence and stare-off between us and he stepped forward, breaking the silence. 'Charlotte, I'm Jack Harkness, this is Gwen Cooper and the woman you're staring at is Bella Cullen.' Trust Jack to say that.

She suddenly shook herself out of her almost trance-like state and turned to Jack, nodding. 'Hi, um...I haven't gone by Charlotte for nearly eleven years now. It's Evangeline Atra.' She told him, holding out her hand which Jack quickly shook.

'Sorry, I'm being rude. Take a seat.' She said, gesturing to the couch. Jack and Gwen pushed a few magazines out of the way and sat down, I went over and sat down next to them, moving another book out of the way as I did so. It didn't have a title, but the picture said it all – another mythical picture of a vampire, completely unrealistic as it bit into a human's neck with shining, pointed teeth and animal like claws.

'Um...Evangeline,' Gwen started, remembering to use her unofficial name, 'we've gathered that you run some sort of undercover group... a member of that group has been found murdered under suspicious circumstances this morning. We were wondering if you could tell us about Infraterra Nox.'

I watched as Evangeline's eyes widened again, her eyes thankfully still on Gwen. 'Murdered?' She whispered. 'Who?'

Jack bit his lip. 'Her name was Grace Taylor-'

A gasp escaped Evangeline's parted mouth and she leant back in her chair wearily. 'Ebony?' She asked quietly, swallowing.

I frowned. 'Ebony?' I repeated, instantly regretting the action as her eyes flickered back to me and didn't leave.

She nodded, still not blinking as that puzzled look returned to her eyes, though now hidden slightly behind shock and grief. 'Ebony Caliga, that's what we all call her, she's gone by that name since she joined the group. No-one's called her Grace in years.' Her voice was sad. 'She was my best friend.'

I was filled with sympathy for the woman when she said that, her voice was so sincere that I didn't need to read her mind to know she was telling the truth. 'I'm sorry, Evangeline.' I told her immediately as Jack and Gwen fell silent.

* * *

She nodded and her eyes left me finally, but they didn't fix on anything else. She just seemed to stare into space, not concentrating on anything. I didn't speak until I saw a tear slip from her right eyes and trickle down her cheek. It was black and left a dark grey streak down her face from the makeup and I grabbed a tissue off the crowded coffee table and handed it to her. She took it with a grateful yet still confused glance and wiped her eyes, smearing the dark purple make up around her face until she looked like some eighties New Romantic.

'Evangeline, could we ask you a few questions. Is that alright?' I asked softly, glancing at Jack and Gwen.

She nodded and sniffed, wiping at her nose. 'Yeah, sure.' I looked at Jack and gestured for him to show her the photo.

He shifted forward in his seat so he was facing her and produced the passport size photo that had been found in Grace's, or now _Ebony'_s purse. 'Do you recognise this man? We found this in Gra...uh, Ebony's purse.' He inquired, quickly correcting himself over the name thing.

Evangeline peered at the photo; I wondered how on earth she could see through the tears and makeup blurring her eyes. 'Um...yeah, that's Jeremy. He comes to the group too, he's Ebony's boyfriend.' She told us, nodding slightly.

Jeremy...Ebony... I remembered now. They were two names on the minutes, it all made sense now. The reason Grace's name wasn't on the minutes was that she didn't go by that name. I tried to remember some of the entries by their names. I think one for Ebony might have been 'getting closer all the time' which of course, still confused me. What was she getting closer to? Or if my small inklings of a theory were correct..._who?_

'Could you tell us a last name for Jeremy, Evangeline?' Gwen asked. 'Is Jeremy is real name?'

Evangeline gave a teary nod. 'Yeah...it's Jeremy Cove. People always said Ebony was too young for him...he was thirty, you see....seven years older than her. But I always thought they were perfect together...when he came, I'd never seen Ebony happier.' She explained, more tears falling from her smudged eyes.

We all nodded as she spent a few more second wiping her tears away. Jack stowed the photo away again in his pocket. 'Thanks, we'll get in touch with him. Could I ask just a couple more questions?' When Evangeline nodded again, Gwen leant forward.

'Evangeline, in order to investigate this properly, we're going to have to know more about this group, Infraterra Nox, that you run. Could you tell us about it?' She asked cautiously, we still didn't know if this organisation was completely secret and if she'd be willing to tell us about it.

'Yeah, sure. Could I quickly ask how you found out about it first?'

I nodded. 'Yeah, Ebony had a whole box of minutes for your meeting; I had a quick look through them.' I answered, handing her another tissue as she threw away the now black one she'd had.

'Oh right, yeah that makes sense.' She looked up at me. 'Could I have them back, if you're done with them?'

Jack shook his head, interrupting. 'I'm afraid we'll have to keep hold of them for now, Evangeline. But you can have them back after the investigation.'

'Ok, thanks.' She replied, wiping more makeup around her face. 'You want to know about the group, then?'

We all nodded in unison. 'Yes, please.' I said gently, leaning back and sensing this could be a long story.

Evangeline leant forward with her hands in her knees and looked at the array of books cluttering the room.

'Well... it all depends in what you believe in...let me warn you, this isn't for the fainthearted, you have to keep an open mind. Forget all that science and media rubbish...' She fingered the book I had moved from my seat, the one with the Vampire biting a human on the front. Her voice was all mystical, as if she were about to tell a ghost story by candlelight.

She looked up at us all. 'Do you believe in Vampires...?'

* * *

_It takes acquired minds_

_To taste, to taste, to taste this wine_

_You can't down it with your eyes_

_So we don't need the headlines_

_No, we don't need the headlines_

* * *

_**A bit of a cliff-hanger there, sorry about that. Hope this chapter was alright for you and please leave me a review telling me what you thought!**_

_**X =D**_


	7. Conspiracy

_**Hi, thanks for your reviews last chapter, they're greatly appreciated! Here's the next instalment, I hope you like it and please keep those reviews coming! The song is again, a Paramore one – sorry if that's getting boring, I promise I'll try and vary it next time!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 6 – Conspiracy**_

* * *

'Do you believe in Vampires...?

If I had a heart, it would be racing at one hundred miles per hour by now as I waited, not daring to breathe, for Jack and Gwen's response. Did they believe in Vampires? And if so...did they know how to recognise one, as in, a _real_ vampire – not the unrealistic, ridiculously frightening and conspicuous image that the media spread about the place. The idea that my secret be spilled at all terrified the life out of me, let alone brought back a surge of guilt as to what the Volturi would do...but to have my secret let out _here_, in front of this woman who quite obviously did believe. It meant only one thing: disaster.

But seeing as I was no longer human and my heart hadn't beat for around three years now, I just held my breath and sat, frozen where I was. I began debating if the fates or Gods had some kind of drawn out conspiracy against me, or maybe they thought I just enjoyed living in fear for most of my life.

I heard Jack let out a long breath and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he seemed to be thinking very carefully about his answer, like he was choosing just the right words. 'We...we deal with a lot of things that most people would be surprised to find out existed... I can't say whether I believe in them or not, but I am saying that to us, considering the line of speciality work we're in... I...I wouldn't rule it out.' He finished with a note of assurance in his voice, seeming pleased with his reply.

I quietly breathed out a sigh of relief; he didn't suspect what I was. He hadn't even looked at me when she mentioned Vampires, so I decided to vouch that I was alright. For the time being. At that moment, Gwen nodded too, leaning back in her seat next to me.

'I'm with Jack.' She agreed.

Then, Evangeline turned her expectant gaze on me, that same hint of confusion dancing behind her curious pupils. 'What about you? Bella, isn't it?'

I nodded. 'I'm the same as Jack and Gwen.' I told her, trying what looked like a convincing smile. 'With the things we've seen, I wouldn't rule their existence out.'

She smiled at us all, pushing back a straight curtain of black hair and tucking it behind a heavily pierced ear. 'Thanks for keeping an open mind. Anyway, I'll tell you a little about our beliefs and then, I suppose you can guess what members of Infraterra Nox do.' She said, fingering another Vampire book with her pale fingers, one that I hadn't seen yet. The picture on the front was another carefully detailed, ornate drawing...but what it depicted was completely and utterly ridiculous. It showed a Vampire, with sparkling skin, razor sharp teeth and bright red eyes stood next to a woman who was quite obvious human. The artist seemed to have made her extremely plain, unattractive almost, in order to emphasise the Vampire on the left. But the thing that almost made me laugh was what it held in its hand.

In its white, shining hand was what looked like a boiling tube filled with a startling red liquid – blood. And in the hand of the human next to him, was a syringe and there was an ever so slightly visible prick in her arm. The Vampire was raising the tube of donated blood to his lips.

It was mad, unrealistic and stupid. Vampires wouldn't do that; they just wouldn't drink gladly given blood. And they most certainly wouldn't only want that one vial – didn't these people know what human blood did to us? One taste and it started a wild frenzy; we wouldn't be able to stop at one tube-full. A Vampire that wasn't like me, a non-vegetarian Vampire would never do that – they just attack and drink until the body is completely drained, they don't get _friendly_.

* * *

'We believe that Vampires are something like lost souls...they wander the earth with this debilitating diet restraint, so what we do...is help them.' She told us, almost as if she were informing us of some charity work she carried out on a regular basis.

'Help them?' Gwen asked my question for me with a sceptically raised eyebrow.

Evangeline nodded, not seeming to hear the note of disbelief in her voice. 'Yes, we help them. We know how hard it must be for them to live with the terrible burden of having to kill for their sustenance.' She explained, still fingering the book with the absurd picture on the cover.

'You donate blood to them.' I said. It wasn't a question, and it came out as whisper. Now I knew that whoever these so called 'Vampires' that Infraterra Nox professed to help... they were posers. Nothing more, nothing less. They weren't real Vampires. Real Vampires didn't accept help from creepy organisations who offered to give them a little of their blood...real Vampires just attacked whoever's blood smelled good and drank the body dry. It's horrible, I know – but the idea of Vampires somehow being tamed into drinking donated blood was wrong and unrealistic. It would _never_ happen – I should know.

She looked at me, and nodded slowly before reaching for one of her long, black velvet sleeves and pulling it up to her elbow. Littering her smooth forearm were a series of small pinpricks that I imagined were hard for Gwen and Jack's eyes to pick up, but they were there – clear as day for me. 'It's all very clean.' She said softly as she took in Gwen's shocked expression. 'We use a different syringe every time, we don't share them or anything and we get them from a reliable source. It's not dangerous.' When Gwen still looked shocked, she added. 'I've been doing it since I was eighteen, I'm twenty-seven now and I'm still here, safe and sound.'

'So...this is what you do every Monday night is it?' Jack asked, and I could have sworn I heard a note of annoyance in his voice. Or perhaps it was anger, I wasn't sure. 'You meet with Vampires and give them your blood in little test-tubes? Then what, they disappear off to drink it, out of sight? Where you can't see them?' His tone had become slightly mocking and I knew he didn't believe for a minute that these 'Vampires' were genuine. He was right.

Evangeline frowned at him and pulled her sleeve back down again, shaking her wrist. 'No. We don't all meet them to give the blood, it doesn't work like that. We're not just a group interested in helping them; we're also interested in them, just generally. We try to get close to them and so on – last year, one girl left us to join them. She'd fallen in love with one and he offered to change her.' She explained, completely convinced of her beliefs.

Suddenly, everything on the minutes clicked into place. 'Getting close', 'doesn't look promising' – it all referred to the 'Vampires' – the fakes. It was all about whether someone seemed to be getting close to them, or if perhaps Evangeline didn't think they had what it took. 'Are you all donors?' I inquired politely, I was secretly wondering what these quite obviously human posers did with the blood – it was worrying, really.

She shook her head. 'No, some don't wish to give blood yet. Basically, we have the Monday night meetings to talk together about things and also for those who want to give blood, to do it and put it in test-tubes. I then take it on my own after the meetings to a rendezvous point to pass it on, there's about fifteen Vampires who take it, always the same ones, and the same who we try to get close to... though last week, three new ones joined. Two women and one man – Ebony was fascinated by them; she was getting extremely close to them actually...' At the mention of her friend, Evangeline trailed off and more tears sprung up behind her eyes – I automatically handed her a tissue.

But inside, my mind was whirring. Three new ones...two women and one man. Ebony had known them. A deep sense of petrifying dread crept up my already ice cold back.

The Maleficus.

* * *

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack's lips tighten. I could sense he'd had enough. 'Right, uh...we better be leaving now, but there's just one more thing to ask about.' He said, getting up. Me and Gwen got the hint and stood up too, making our way to the door. I glanced outside to check it wasn't sunny – thankfully it was still overcast, the same as when we'd arrived here a few hours earlier. It was beginning to grow dark – night, the safest time for us.

'Well, actually – two things.' He added with a grin. 'Do you know any of these Vampires names?'

Evangeline shook her head. 'Sorry, I can't tell you that.' She replied quickly, looking at him – defensive all of a sudden.

Jack nodded slowly. 'Ok, that's alright...um...the other thing was, why did Ebony have the minutes, and not you? You're the leader, after all.'

'Oh, Ebony just does them – she writes them and looks after them, I was afraid I'd lose them here. It gets a little messy with all my research.' Evangeline explained, gesturing again to the clutter that crowded the small lounge.

'Ok, well we might be in touch. Thanks for helping us; it's been very...insightful.' He told her, placing a hand on the door handle.

'Ok, no problem. Bye.'

'Bye.' Gwen said as Jack opened the door and we made our way out, shutting the door behind us. Behind me, I was the only one (obviously) that heard Evangeline let out a long sigh and sink onto the sofa, a small whisper escaping her lips. 'Ebony.'

* * *

'So Gwen, what do you think of all the voo-doo Vampire stuff?' Jack asked as he drove us back to the hub.

Gwen shrugged in the passenger seat. 'They're posers, Jack, they have to be. Come on, it's all a load of rubbish. Sheds some light on things though.' She answered, flipping down the sunscreen to inspect her fringe and push it to the side a little so she could see. 'How about you, Bella? You looked kind of tense back there.'

'Did I?' I asked, feigning surprise. 'I was just a little shocked at it all – I agree with you both, they have to be posers. Somehow, I don't think Vampires would drink small amounts of donated blood.' I replied, hoping that what I knew to be fact would come across as opinion.

Jack nodded, looking at me in his rear-view mirror. 'The bit about the three new ones caught my attention though...you know, the two women and a man that apparently Ebony got quite close to?'

Gwen and I both nodded. 'Yeah?'

'I was thinking maybe they might have something to do with this...' The statement was clearly directed at me, he was still staring at me in the mirror.

I looked down, biting my lip. 'Uh, yeah...I have something to tell you guys.' I said nervously, still looking down at my jean clad knees.

'Yeah?' Jack pushed, his eyes intrigued.

'Well...The Maleficus, who I'm pretty sure murdered Ebony, since there isn't anyone else who'd leave a message like that for me...well, they're made up of one man and two women.' I confessed quietly, that strange stab of guilt returning for ever having dragged them into this mess.

The SUV suddenly screeched to a halt as Jack stamped on the brakes, luckily we were still on a quiet street on the outskirts of Cardiff and there were no cars behind or in front of us.

'What?' Jack demanded, twisting in his seat to face me as Gwen did the same. 'Those three new people, they could be the ones that killed your family and Gra-Ebony?'

I looked up at him worriedly and nodded slowly. 'Yeah.' I confirmed, immediately looking down again.

'But they're posing too, right?' Gwen asked, her voice slightly shaky and I knew she was beginning to suspect what they were...which meant she was beginning to suspect what I was too. And that only meant bad news.

I nodded again, hating myself for the lie. But if it kept them safe from the Volturi then I'd do it – sometimes, ignorance really was bliss. 'Yeah, they're posing too.' I answered, my voice level and even. 'Just like the rest of them.'

Gwen blinked and turned back around, seemingly satisfied for the time being, Jack however frowned and continued looking at me. 'They aren't Vampires, not that I'm sure they exist... but I don't know everything.'

I shook my head. 'They're not Vampires.' I lied straight to his face, then tried to force out a smile. 'As far as I know, anyway.' I added, a little jokingly.

Thankfully, the little humorous addition worked and he grinned, turned back around and hit the gas again. 'Well, thank God for that.' He sighed, still smiling as we made our way closer to the hub.

I nodded and smiled along, but I was internally screaming. Now I was sure the Gods had a conspiracy against me – who had ever had this kind of bad luck. First to be plagued with all the problems I'd had during my mortal life, but even as an immortal – I could find no peace. Not to mention Jack and Gwen seemed to be unconsciously close to guessing my true identity, it would be more important than ever now to tread carefully with this case. I couldn't let the Maleficus anywhere near Jack and Gwen, but at the same time, I couldn't allow them to find out that I, like them, was a Vampire.

* * *

_Where can I turn?_

_Cause I need something more_

_Surrounded by uncertainty, I'm so unsure_

_Tell me why I feel so alone_

_Cause I need to know, to whom do I owe?_

_Explain to me, this conspiracy against me_

_And tell me how, I lost my power_

* * *

_**I know what you're all now thinking – The Maleficus are only made up of three people, I guess you were expecting a massive clan in order to overthrow the Cullen, right? Don't worry – you'll find out more about them and why they're so powerful in later chapters. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!**_

_**X =D**_


	8. Making Enemies

_**Hi, thanks for the reviews so far! Glad you're all enjoying the story and hope you like this chapter! I've managed to vary the band and it's now Snow Patrol's song, 'Making Enemies'.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 7 – Making Enemies**_

* * *

Once we reached the hub, Jack suggested we order some pizza and then turn in for the night, considering the busy day we'd had. It hardly made a different to me; I don't get tired or sleep. But Gwen had already started yawning and nodded.

'Right, so who's gonna brave the cold and collect it?' Jack asked once he'd ordered one pepperoni and one margarita, I was deep in thought, thinking how I was going to make it appear as if I was eating. I could always just swallow and bring it back up later once everyone was asleep...but the idea made me want to gag, it was really painful doing that.

In a stroke of genius, I said, 'I'll go get it. Where's the place?'

Jack smiled. 'Thanks, Bella. It's just over the other side, by the road. You can't miss it.' He told me, handing over a creased ten pound note. 'See you in a minute.'

I nodded. 'Yeah, see you.' I replied, taking the money and putting it in my coat pocket before heading outside, the cold wind not bothering me at all. The orange streetlights spilled out over the water tower and caught a black cat playing by the water's edge, it looked a little scraggly and I almost thought it was going to fall over the edge and into the pitch black water for a moment. But as I neared it, it almost sensed the danger and scarpered off towards the street at full speed away from me.

I sighed and turned around, looking for the pizza place. Jack was right, I couldn't miss it. It was all red and blue lights with large advertising posters on the windows. There was a teenage boy behind the counter, he must have been around seventeen and as I walked in, his mouth dropped open. 'Um...uh...erm...hi.' He forced out and I could have sworn I saw drool coming from the corner of his agape mouth.

'Hi, I've come to pick up an order under the name of Harkness.' I told him, going up to the counter and taking my money out.

He nodded and turned away, his face going red as he called out into the kitchen. 'It'll be about five minutes, ok?' He said, looking back at me.

I nodded and went to sit on one of the waiting stools as he dashed off into the kitchen, probably to tell all the others about me the same as that waitress had with...Edward. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Sure enough, I could hear the boy saying, 'Oh my God, there's this woman out there and she is so _fit_, seriously, Mike, you gotta see her.'

I almost laughed. So it looked like there'd be another Mike after me in a minute. Sure enough, a slightly more attractive boy came out of the kitchen, running a hand through his light brown hair. At least this one didn't have serious skin problems.

'Hey.' He said with a flirtatious smile.

'Hi.' I replied blankly, glancing at the watch on my wrist as if I was getting impatient. I really didn't want to encourage him. I just wanted the pizza so I could carry out my 'look-like-I-can-actually-eat-human-food' master plan.

'So...' He continued, leaning casually against the wall next to me. 'You don't sound like you're from round here.'

'I'm not.' His smile was beginning to unnerve me. Where was that damn pizza?

'Well if you ever need anyone to show you around, I'd be happy to give you a ride on my motorbike.' He offered slyly, holding out a piece of paper with a phone number written on it.

I shook my head. 'No thanks, my boyfriend's from round here.' I replied coldly. I couldn't help it, it just slipped out. Even though the thought of me being with anyone else but Edward was just totally ridiculous, it looked like the only way I was going to get rid of this guy.

It had worked, he looked visibly disappointed. 'Oh...right, well...take it anyway, in case he turns out to be a tosser.'

I turned my glare up to death level. 'I _said_ no thanks, now could you please stop trying to chat me up and give me my pizza. Me and boyfriend are planning on having a night in and let me tell you, he's the furthest thing from a tosser you can get and you're the closest.' I snapped, standing up and going over to the counter where the boy from before had reappeared, two boxes in hand. I wished I could have some better comebacks, that one wasn't the best.

'Keep the change.' I told him quickly as I gave him the note, took the pizzas and swiftly exited the shop.

* * *

As soon as I was outside, I opened the first box and took out two slices, checking no-one was about; I shoved them into a nearby bin and wrinkled my nose. The stuff smelt awful to me, how could they stand it? Mind you, I'd loved pizza when I was human, nowadays, anything but blood smelt disgusting.

'Here you are, I'm tired so I'm gonna turn in.' I announced when I got back in. 'They had the margarita ready when I got there, so I had some while I was waiting for the other one. Sorry – it just smelled so good.'

It was a pretty convincing lie, if I did say so myself and it must have worked, because Jack just nodded. 'Ok, Bella. See you in the morning.'

'Yeah, see you in the morning. Bye.' I muttered, quickly vanishing to the small room me and Gwen shared.

I lay there, just thinking about things...Ebony, Evangeline, the Maleficus...various things swirled around my mind as I struggled to find a logical conclusion to these events. But I just didn't know what to do, I was completely stuck. It was like I made enemies everywhere I turned. How could I stop the Maleficus without dying, without allowing anyone else to die and also without letting out my secret? It seemed to be the impossible task.

Just then, as I rolled over and let out a long sigh, both Jack and Gwen's voices drifted back to me. I lay there, still as stone as I listened intently to what they were saying.

'So you really think we should try to look for these Maleficus people that killed her family?' Gwen asked, obviously through a mouthful of pizza. I didn't hear any reply, so I assumed that Jack must have nodded.

'But, Jack...listen, Bella's family...it was massive, she's told me about them, there were loads. I can't remember exactly how many but there was around ten of them, plus some friends and cousins she said. So...how could three people possibly overpower them?'

My heart sank. This was it, this was where they were going to question exactly what was so powerful about the Maleficus...and what would be my answer? I didn't know what to say, if I told them about Evanna's detection radar thing and Blake's downright scary clone manipulation it might not be so bad. But when it came to Carla...that was where my secret would begin to leak. It was obvious from this conversation that the cracks in their trust for me were beginning to show, and the seeds of doubt were being planted.

'Really?' I heard Jack say, surprised. 'That many? I always thought it was just her husband and maybe her parents.'

I bit my lip. My parents....yes, my parents were still alive. But I hadn't seen Renee since the wedding and Charlie must think me dead by now. I knew enough to know that the papers had reported our death and were looking for a culprit...of course; the case wouldn't go anywhere at all. I hoped he was alright now, a year on...Sue would look after him, I knew that at least.

But then I remembered, Sue would be mourning too...she'd lost Seth and Leah because of the Maleficus and because they'd insisted on coming to help Jake...and on top of all that, Sue didn't have Harry anymore either. She was alone, like Charlie. I desperately hoped that the two lonely souls had stuck together, but I knew how difficult a relationship is when both sides feel broken.

* * *

I pulled the mismatching blankets over my head and mentally blocked their voices out as I closed my eyes, the terrifying images rushing back to me.

We'd been playing baseball again, Alice had predicted a big storm and we'd all headed out to that same field where James, Laurent and Victoria had appeared a few years before. Jake was there, of course, he could barely spend a few hours away from Renesmee now she was older and they were currently stood, forehead to forehead, whispering to each other.

Me and Edward stood under the black, swirling sky, hand in hand. 'We're going to win this time.' Edward told me softly, glancing up at the clouds above us.

I remember turning to smile at him. 'We'll always win, Edward.'

He smiled back and planted a kiss on my lips. 'Always.' He murmured, kissing me again.

Little did he know that we wouldn't win, we wouldn't even get around to playing the game. And we most certainly wouldn't win the fight that was coming nearer and nearer. The worst thing was, that Alice didn't see them coming, due to Evanna's damn talent of remaining all but invisible...we were completely blind when three Vampires turned up, we had never heard of them.

I remember they approached us, asking if they could join in just as James and Victoria had. Evanna and Blake were stood side by side and a small red head was just visible behind them. Carlisle, being Carlisle, handed them the bat and offered for them to go first. And that's when things turned nasty.

Blake threw the bat with unimaginable force across the field where it smashed against a tree with a resounding crack. Evanna and the small one, named Carla, began to circle us. Carla was silent but Evanna's words were taunting, making fun of Carlisle's good nature, Rosalie's beauty and then they turned on me, calling me 'the foolish human who dared to fall in love with one of us'.

We didn't even blink, before we knew it, a battle was upon us and we were fighting for all our might. Suddenly, there were about fifty three Vampires to fight, and most of them looked the spitting image of Blake. It was too much; we couldn't handle it – not an army of this size. It was simply too big. Jacob had phased and was doing his best to protect Renesmee; he'd also called the rest of the pack who had now arrived. I wish to this day that he'd never got them involved. And then Carla came, charging into the mix... that's when we realised we had no chance.

The smell of heavy, sickly smoke was already in the air and I noticed many of our number missing, too many. Rosalie...Jasper...Esme...Emmett...Renesmee....and Jake.

I remember the very moment Edward was attacked. I was trying to fight Blake off, he was particularly angry as his clones seemed to have no effect on me, they just passed through me...I guessed it was due to my being a shield, these clones were made using his mind and so my mind blocked them. But in one split second, I suddenly knew it was imperative I stop and look to my left, I don't know why, I just knew it. With a rush of adrenaline, I threw Blake all the way to the other side of the field somehow and looked.

There, staring at me, was Edward. Evanna's hands were locked around his neck and he had no escape. He was just looking into my eyes as I stared back, frozen in that minute second. And then, so fast I can't believe I didn't miss it. He mouthed, 'hide.' And then he was gone. My Edward. Gone.

Maybe it was luck that made me stop and look. Maybe we had some psychic connection we never knew about. Or maybe...it was just written.

* * *

I was shaken out the horrifying memory by Gwen entering the room, still yawning. I lay there, eyes tightly closed as I feigned sleep and she got into bed with a sigh. It had been strange, that moment, what sort of sixth sense was it that had told me to look Edward's way so he could give me the instruction that amazingly saved my life? I didn't know, but I knew it was what had lead me here now. And put Jack and Gwen in danger.

It was some sort of comfort, yet also pain, that Edward's last thoughts were of making sure I lived. He must have analyzed the field instead of fighting back against Evanna; he must have seen that no-one was watching me in that split second that he had told me to hide. So I did what he said, because instead of fighting back, he'd found a way to keep me safe. He'd sacrificed himself for me.

* * *

It was sunny outside in the morning, so I made a point of staying inside and away from the small window in the roof, where a square of sunlight fell. We were running over the 'case' as Jack called it, he was listing Ebony's injuries, reciting the message on the wall, along with what Evangeline had told us yesterday. I sat listening in silence, almost afraid of what he might say next.

'...but we still don't know much about these Maleficus.'

I could tell the sentence was a prompt and my head shot up to look at him. 'You want to know about them?' I asked, slightly scared. I still didn't know what I would tell them, or indeed how much I would tell them.

Jack nodded. 'You know the saying, know your enemies? Well, we need that now, Bella. I don't quite know what it is you're not telling us, but you've been pretty evasive ever since we went to Evangeline's. We need to know everything.' He told me in a low, serious voice.

Gwen nodded too. 'I know it's hard to talk about them, Bella...but you need to tell us what makes them so powerful so we know what we're up against. Otherwise, we're just stumbling in the dark.'

I bit my lip and sighed, staring down at the metal grating on the floor. Eventually, I looked up. 'Ok.' I said. 'I'll tell you all about them.'

'Thanks, Bella. This way we can move forward and think about how to tackle these people before they harm anyone else.'

I nodded and took a deep breath. 'The Maleficus...as you've probably gathered aren't human. They...they _look_ human. But they have powers you wouldn't even imagine.' I looked up to gauge their reactions, my whole body tense.

'What powers?' Gwen pushed, leaning back in her chair.

'They're all amazingly fast, and strong. They can hear and see things you couldn't...and they all have special talents of their own.' I paused again; Gwen's face was still just blank. But Jack's? Jack's expression worried me, a lot.

He was looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes, hidden suspicion clearly lurking behind their deep brown depths. I could almost hear his mind whirring as he looked me over, the memories of me dashing with inhuman speed up the stairs...picking that technology of his up a little too fast... I took another deep breath, and kept talking. Mainly because I didn't know what else to do. How could I twist all this so I was just talking about them, and not me?

* * *

_We're just waiting for our man_

_To come through with a plan_

_Of how the hell we turn this round_

_And dig ourselves out of the ground_

* * *

_**I hope that was ok, I had a bit of writers block before beginning this chapter so I feel it's not my best. There will be more information about the Maleficus next chapter. Thanks for reading and please tell me your thoughts. **_

_**X =D**_


	9. Emergency

_**Hi, thanks for all your reassuring reviews last chapter after my slight writer's block. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!**__** Yes, it's Paramore again but this song does fit the chapter, I couldn't resist!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 8 – Emergency**_

* * *

Like I said – I kept talking. I stared blatantly at the floor the whole time I was explaining and if I had been human, I was sure my whole body would be shaking from sheer nerves. I was having trouble now, even as a Vampire.

'Um…for example, Evanna has this strange gift of avoiding detection. She can cover her tracks and any signs of her existence from detection completely. It's like she covers herself with this invisibility blanket and it has absolutely no holes. She's impenetrable…' I had started with Evanna because I thought her talent was the most plausible, it wouldn't sound all that menacing – just impressive. Then I'd move onto Blake…and finally finish on Carla's frighteningly potent power.

'She's untraceable?' Jack asked, I could tell his eyes were fixed firmly on me. Though due to my fear, or perhaps it was nerves, I didn't look; so I couldn't see whether or not the suspicion was gone from his eyes.

I just nodded dully. 'Yeah…and she can kind of push her blanket out, so it covers other people too – she shrouds the rest of them in it. It's not like they're invisible to the eye, if they were stood in front of us we'd be able to see them fine. It's a more advanced type of detection blanket.' I told him, flicking a small spot of dirt that I had noticed on my jeans.

'And what about the others?' Gwen's voice was intrigued, interested even. Definitely no suspicion there.

'There's Blake.' I started, taking a quick swallow of venom. One of his weird clones was responsible for my adoptive mother's death, I'll never forget Esme's piercing scream as he ripped her apart. It had chilled me to the bone; it was like it still echoed in my ears. She had been gazing at Carlisle while she died and it broke my heart in two.

'He would be the most dangerous, if it weren't for Carla.' I continued, one of my hands curling into a fist as my lips tightened. I really didn't like talking about this. 'He can clone himself. He can control the clones, and they can kill you just as easily as he can himself. It's frightening as hell.'

'Hold on…' Jack said, stopping me talking. 'You say _they_, as in plural. How many can he create?'

For the first time in about five minutes I looked up at him, surprised to see the suspicion gone in his eyes. Now, there was only fear as he gave Gwen furtive glances that he thought I couldn't see. With one word, that fear in his eyes increased a notch.

'Fifty.' I told him, my voice rough. The image of the suddenly crowded field flashed through my memory. All copies of Blake darting around, fighting my loved ones. Some of them five on one. The only way to differentiate between the fakes and the real Blake was that the clones didn't make any noise, whereas Blake's triumphant calls resounded across the green expanse of space every time someone else fell.

'Fifty?' Gwen gasped, raising a hand to her mouth as she stared at me, wide eyed.

I nodded apologetically, my gaze dropping again. 'Yeah…fifty.' I confirmed. It was almost as though I could hear both hearts in the room drop; a long slow sigh came from Jack.

'Shit.' He muttered softly, running a hand through his brown hair. 'You said he'd be the most powerful, if it weren't for Carla. Well what the hell can she do that's anymore scary than a massive clone army?'

I looked up at them both again and I knew that as I told them, my voice would come out apologetic. Because I was sorry. Immensely – for ever having got them into this spectacularly dangerous mess.

* * *

'Carla's the one with red hair; she's really short and looks like she's harmless.' I snorted sarcastically at this point, thinking how Carla's appearance was ridiculous in comparison to how powerful she was. The phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' came to mind.

'So what does she do?' Gwen asked, her voice ever so slightly shaky on the last word.

I dropped the bomb. 'She sets fire to people.'

A general gasping chorus of 'What?!' and 'How?!' came from both Jack and Gwen as their shock emanated from them.

'She set's fire to people.' I repeated roughly, swallowing more venom. 'She has to get both hands on your temples and it spreads fire all over your body. It can't be put out and it can't be stopped. She murders people in seconds, basically.' I told them. My voice was dry and rough due to the amount of venom I was swallowing and my eyes started stinging again with the want to cry.

Slowly, I looked up at them both, almost scared to see their expressions. Gwen was just staring, wide eyed ahead of her, her teeth gritted behind closed lips. Jack, next to her was just looking at me – that same worry in his eyes. But also, the suspicion was back, just a little bit of it. Not as much, but still, it was there. 'I'm sorry.' I whispered apologetically, the guilt currently hitting me again was becoming a regular thing and I didn't like it. I didn't like the way it made me regret everything I'd ever done or said, or the way it made my eyes sting and throat burn. I just hated it.

'I did try to tell you.' I told them, mainly addressing Jack as I remembered how I'd warned him that the Maleficus weren't to be underestimated.

'I know.' Jack said blankly, his eyes meeting mine. 'I just never thought….'

Next to him, Gwen was now frowning slightly. 'Bella?' She asked, bringing her gaze up to look at me too.

'Yeah?'

'If Carla can…can set fire to people…' She started, struggling to curl her tongue around the idea, let alone her mind, 'how come she needs Evanna and Blake, or all those clones? She could have had all your family dead in no time.'

I swallowed and looked down again. She had a point, but there was kind of two answers to her question, and I wasn't giving answer number one. Answer number one was this – we were fast too, being Vampires and all. It was hard for her to get her hands either side of our head; we needed weakening first…that was the one I wasn't revealing. Too risky.

Answer two however, was also true. The Maleficus weren't just a clan; they were a cult intent on killing us in the most enjoyable way possible. It was probably fun for them to race around duelling us and jumping back and forth like it was some lithe game of hide and seek – then, when our strength was wavering, in came Carla, the one that we had all (up to that point) underestimated.

'They like to drag things out…it's just the way they are. Sadistic.' I muttered with a sigh. 'They fought us like it was game, jumping back and forth as we did the same… then she came in when we were at our weakest.'

Gwen nodded, but Jack – Jack didn't miss the small piece of information I'd just given out, entirely by accident. 'Hold on, you said jumping back and forth as we did the same. Before you told us they were extremely fast…well, you are too – sometimes.' He paused, frowning slightly. 'Bella, are you the same as them? Do you have some terrifying power like Carla, or Blake?'

I didn't miss a beat. 'No,' I said, smiling slightly to distract from the seriousness of his question. 'I definitely don't have any terrifying gifts.' It wasn't a lie, my gift wasn't exactly terrifying. It was a defence mechanism, nothing else. I avoided the first question, hoping it would work.

Jack didn't look entirely satisfied, but he nodded anyway. 'Ok…well, thank heavens!'

I smiled again, running a hand through my hair. 'So…what are we going to do?' I asked, trying to move on from the explanation of the Maleficus. Maybe I shouldn't have asked, to be honest. Because at that moment, Gwen snapped.

The sentence, 'I have no fucking idea!' came out as a choked sob as a tear escaped Gwen's right eye and her head fell forward into her hands. After a few seconds, she looked up at me, her mascara smudged. 'How are we supposed to fight them when we'll be three against fifty bloody three and that's if we can even track them down in the first place?!'

I shook my head, looking down. 'I don't know.' I said simply, shaking my head again. Because it was the truth. I had no idea what the hell to do, and Gwen's upset was understandable, the amount of danger I'd put them in was stupid and I hated myself even more for it. I was a silly, selfish and dangerous person to be around. Like a disease…the plague, probably.

But I won't back out, I won't leave them. I can't and I don't want to. Because amazingly enough, they matter to me and even though we have a grand scale emergency on our hands, thanks to me, I was going to protect them for all I was worth. Because they didn't deserve this, not after all that stuff about the 4, 5, 6.

* * *

_This is an emergency_

_So are you listening?_

_And I can't pretend that I don't see this_

_It's really not your fault_

_When no-one cares to talk about it_

_To talk about it_

_Because I've seen love die, way too many times_

_When it deserved to be alive._

* * *

_**Thanks for reading, hope that was alright and please tell me your thoughts!**_

_**X =D**_


	10. Spaceman

_**Hi, back again! Thanks as always for your reviews, I hope you like this chapter. The song is 'Spaceman' by The Killers – so a little variation for you there!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 9 – Spaceman**_

* * *

I'd slipped off to the toilet after that. I couldn't bear to sit there as we had done for the last ten minutes. The silence was louder than a thousand cries and it sang of shock and hopelessness as its absence of sound rang in my ears. I couldn't take it anymore, so with a whispered explanation I escaped out to the toilet, finding myself unable to stare at Gwen's expressionless face and Jack's slightly frowning one any longer.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I noticed two things. The second one perhaps more important than the first. The first was that the black long sleeved top I'd put on that morning contrasted a little too dramatically against my skin and the second was that my eyes were no longer the same soft shade of butterscotch that they'd been the day I joined Torchwood.

They had grown that little bit darker and now resembled a colour that was closer to dark toffee than butterscotch, a fact that worried me. It meant that by tomorrow, they'd be a sharp shade of brown and by the day after, almost the same colour as my hair. But in three days time, I knew that they would be pitch black – something that was bound to attract attention. The solution? I would need to hunt and pretty damn soon too. The problem was that I couldn't go today, it was too bright outside and I'd be seen. I would have to wait and see what tomorrow brought weather wise.

* * *

As I exited the bathroom, I looked up to see Jack leant back against the grey wall expectantly, his arms crossed over his chest along with his legs at the ankles. When he saw me, he uncrossed his arms but stayed leant back. 'I met a guy in a bar once.' He remarked, and something about his tone told me that he was about to tell me some kind of story. I stopped where I was as he opened his mouth to continue.

'Let's call him....Stewart, since that was his name after all. Well...it's what he said his name was.'

I nodded, not quite sure where he was going with this. I didn't really need to hear about his love life.

'Anyway, he was _really_ gorgeous and I'm not just saying that. I'm talking Brad Pitt crossed with Johnny Depp here.' His eyes lit up as he said this and he smiled slightly, uncrossing his legs and straightening up. 'We had a few drinks and so on....and before you ask, _no_, I did not sleep with him.'

I smiled, though it was born of nervousness. I really had no idea why he was telling me this. But he'd stepped closer to me now and was obviously intent on finishing the tale.

'But I did see him a few times after that, as you do....he was real nice, protective sort of fellow. It was a shame, really....'

'Why, what happened?' I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

His face seemed to sober up immediately and his eyes grew serious. 'He turned out to be something other than what he'd led me to believe. In the end, he revealed he was a human flesh eating alien from the planet Ghonik.' He told me, cocking his head on one side. 'Not really the best choice for a boyfriend, is it?'

I nodded and murmured a 'not really,' to him. This story was hitting a little too close to home, if I was honest. The whole, nice person, protective...turning out to be something other than he led Jack to believe.... It all made me think of one word. Me.

'Anyway, the point I'm getting to here, Bella, is this. Since then, I've always been ultra careful to make sure I know exactly who my friends are. And I get a little suspicious when they begin showing signs of being someone they said they weren't.'

My whole body tensed and my eyes widened as my fist curled up. But for some reason, Jack just seemed to change topic almost as suddenly as he had started, dispelling the awkwardness that had suddenly appeared. 'I just made Gwen some tea, do you want some?'

I shook my head; the movement making me feel numb. 'No, I'm fine.' I replied, taking a breath.

He grinned in a friendly manner. 'Ok, we better go out. I think she's a little shocked.'

I nodded and followed him. 'I think we all are.' I muttered to myself.

* * *

As soon as we emerged back into the main area of the hub, Gwen came running up to us, panic written on her face. 'Jack, there's been more non-human activity just a few streets away on the same frequency as last time. We better go check it out.' He voice was hurried, belaying her fear. I guessed she really didn't want to see another body like Ebony's. Neither did I, when I came to think of it.

My mind flashed back to the image of her strewn dramatically on the white sheet, blood seeping everywhere as it trickled from the perfectly placed stab wounds. And then, above her, the writing on the wall. The bloodied warning that was there, waiting for my eyes to read it.

Jack paled slightly and he grabbed the keys to the SUV. 'Have you got the address?' He asked hurriedly, chucking the same lock breaking device to me that he'd used at Ebony's house. I looked down at it, then up at where the sun was still spilling down through the skylight. I had a problem.

'Uh...Jack, I'm not sure I should come. I'm feeling a little ill.' I lied, twisting my face slightly to look like I was in pain.

Jack turned and frowned at me, before looking back at Gwen. 'Gwen, can you go bring the SUV round?'

Gwen nodded and took the keys. As soon as she'd left and the circular metal entrance clicked to a close, Jack looked back at me. 'Gwen and I don't particularly want to see another body like that either, but we've got to go.'

I stared down at his feet. 'I can't go outside.' I told him blankly as I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping he wouldn't ask too many questions.

'Why can't you....' He trailed off and I glanced up to see him frowning at me. 'Is it to do with the weather?' He asked. 'You can't go out in the sun, is that it?'

My eyes widened and my lips tightened; what should I say? 'Um....I can, I won't die or anything....but it's probably not a good idea.' I replied, hoping it would cut off any theories he had of Vampires burning up in sunlight. For all he knew, I was some alien that perhaps changed form when exposed to sunlight.

'Something happens when you go out in the sun?' He asked, his voice ever so slightly interested.

I nodded and finally found the courage to look him in the eye again. 'Yeah...it's a little difficult to explain.' I answered, holding out the lock device to him.

He shrugged and pulled his coat on, taking it from me. 'Fine, you stay here. But you'll have to look at the evidence pictures when we get back, ok?'

I nodded again and breathed out a sigh of relief. 'Ok.' I agreed as he made his way out. 'Oh, and Jack?' I called out.

He paused and looked back at me. 'Yeah?'

I bit my lip apologetically. 'Uh...about what you said earlier, I'm not....keeping who I am a secret because I'm bad....it's kind of for your own safety...' I grimaced; I wasn't making a very good job of this. 'Sorry, it's hard to explain. But it's to protect you and Gwen, just try and get that.'

He looked at me for a moment, before giving me one nod. 'I'll keep that in mind. Ok, see you later.'

I nodded and waved a little. 'Bye.'

* * *

They'd been gone half an hour and already I was bored. I had wandered around the hub, tried to teach myself how to use some of the complicated programs installed on the hi-tech computers and even had a go at some target practice down in the basement – every shot had been perfect, of course.

However, the problem with being a Vampire with no-one around is that you don't have to pretend you're human, so you do everything super fast and there's no point in slowing down because that's just boring to be honest. So it was at around two o'clock in the afternoon on Monday that I found myself sat on the metal steps by the rift manipulator – just staring at the tiny square of sunlight in front of me.

I rolled my sleeve up and very slowly, I extended my arm and put it into the downward path of sunlight. For a few minutes, I just stared at my hand as I twisted it around, watching while my skin glittered and shone. It really did look as though a thousand water droplets were embedded in the marble like skin, or maybe diamonds. Yes, diamonds was more fitting. The light fractured off my hand onto the metal floor, scattering small specks of sunlight outside of the square.

I sighed and withdrew my arm, pulling my sleeve down. At that moment, the square of sunlight dimmed, and then disappeared. I blinked, and looked again at the now dull square of metal and then up at the skylight where clouds now existed. For a moment, I thought about seeing if I had time to grab a taxi out into the countryside and go hunting, but the ringing of a mobile phone cut through my planning.

I reached up to the earpiece at the side of my head and hit the 'pick up' button. 'Hello?'

'Bella, has it gone overcast there too?' Gwen's voice came through and I picked up on the fear laced through it right away.

'Uh, yeah, why? Gwen, what's happened?' I asked, panicking slightly. What had happened? I would never forgive myself if they had got there to find the Maleficus waiting...

'Nothing...really. We're ok. It's just...I think you ought to see this.' She told me a little shakily. I pictured her staring transfixed at a body as she talked, her eyes wide.

I glanced up at the still cloudy sky. 'Ok, I'm coming. I'll get a taxi, what's the address?'

'Ok, it's the flat block near Delby Square, flat 87.' She told me. 'I'll see you soon, bye.' With that, she hung up and a low humming sound came from the earpiece. I hung up and picked up my coat, though I knew I wouldn't need it.

* * *

'It's just here.' I told the chubby cab driver, sliding a five pound note under the glass screen. He twisted in his seat to take the money, his eyes fixed on me as they had been in the rear-view mirror the whole drive here. Lucky for me, the sun was staying behind the clouds and I was clear to get out.

'Ok, darling. Do you want me to wait?' He asked hopefully, giving me a smile that showed his crooked and slightly yellowed teeth.

I shook my head and reached for the door handle. 'No, it's fine. Thanks.' I told him before quickly getting out and shutting the door. I walked away without waiting to even see if he'd driven away and approached the concrete flat block, completely dreading what I was sure I would find there.

* * *

The smell of freshly spilled blood grew ever more potent as I moved down the corridor, glancing at the numbers on the thin wooden doors. It was obvious these flats weren't exactly 'up-market'. The words shabby and dull were more accurate. My throat was burning excruciatingly by the time I reached flat 87 and I had to swallow about three times to get rid of the building venom. I grimaced, and opened the door.

The smell was even stronger in here, but I was grateful that there was a door cutting off this lounge area from the bedroom where the large amounts of blood evidently was. Gwen was sat on the floor with her back against the sofa, her head between her knees. 'Hi.' I said softly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

Gwen looked up at me, her face slightly green. 'In there.' She told me weakly, nodding her head towards the bedroom door. 'Jack's in there too.' She added, making it clear that there was something I really didn't want to see beyond the door.

I nodded and took a deep breath, aware that the air was slightly clearer out here than it would inevitably be in there. Knowing I couldn't waste anymore time, I stepped over to the door, placed my hand on the loose door-handle...and pushed it open after hesitating for just a moment.

* * *

_You know it's gonna haunt me_

_So hesitation to this life I give_

_You think you might cross over_

_You're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea_

_You better look it over_

_Before you make that leap_

* * *

_**The Queen of evil cliff-hangers has returned! Thanks for reading and please leave me your thoughts in a review! **_

_**X =D**_


	11. Easier to Run

**_Hi, thanks as always for your reviews. I'd like to announce that I have launched a competition on my profile; it's to do with Songfics, so if you're interested then please pop over there and take a look. The details for it are right at the top, marked 'Important'._**

**_Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's based on a Linkin Park song called 'Easier to Run', I was listening to it last night and found that a section of the lyrics would fit well with this chapter. So they're at the bottom as always. Hope you like it and please review!_**

**_X =D_**

**_Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise._**

**_Chapter 10 – Easier to Run_**

* * *

There was more blood than last time, it was as if they felt I hadn't heard the first time, so now they were screaming louder at me – 'You're Next – the message hung in the air, though it wasn't the one written on the carpet. No...That was worse.

The bedroom, like the rest of the flat, was small. There was just enough room for a single bed pushed into the corner and a small wardrobe opposite. This left a small square of space between them and that's where she lay. The girl.

She was younger than Ebony, a fact that stabbed me so deep I felt like I should cry, but I couldn't. Her hair was a pale blonde colour, contrasting with the crimson lipstick coating her thin lips and thick black makeup over the closed eyes. She looked peaceful, laid there like that with her light, fine hair strewn out, eyes closed as though she were merely asleep. But that was impossible, and we all knew it.

Punctuating her body, in an exact copy of Ebony's wounds, was a series of stab wounds, all of them the exact size and shape, just like Ebony's. It was the blood trickling out of her neck onto the carpet that alerted me to the message written there; it flowed in a thin stream to join with the 'a' of my name. If it hadn't been done in the blood of an innocent, murdered young woman, then it would have looked almost artistic. But as it happened, it was the blood of an innocent, murdered young woman and so, all that this dramatic scene could be described as was horrifying. Not beautiful, or artistic, or anything like that....just horrifying. Completely and utterly _sick_.

My burning eyes traced over the perfect, cursive letters as they glistened on the threadbare carpet and I forgot all about my burning throat for a while – my own thirst hardly seemed to matter compared to the vile sin committed here. The girl couldn't be more than eighteen, under the white makeup, I could still see signs of teenage spots for heaven's sakes; this girl was barely out of the schoolroom. It made me wonder though...how had she got involved with Infraterra Nox, at that age? Surely Evangeline didn't encourage girls as young as this to donate blood to Vampires who weren't even Vampires?

* * *

'You can run, but you can't hide, Bella.'

The voice came from behind me and I knew that Gwen had entered the room. She said it shakily but there was also a hint of accusation in her tone and when I turned to face her, the anger in her eyes shocked me so much that my eyes widened a little.

'That's what it says,' she continued, her gaze shifting from me, to the message on the carpet, then back to me again, 'they're never going to stop, Bella. They're just going to keep killing and killing until there's no-one left! They are _never_ going to stop!' She was shouting at me now, and I had no idea what to do. I'd never heard her shout like this before.

So I just stood there, stock still while she threw words at me, hoping they'd cut something inside. Her voice was somewhere between the confines of angry and hysterical as her voice rose slightly in pitch and I began to see the beginnings of tears building in her eyes.

'So what _my_ question is, Bella,' she spat that part quite viciously, '...When are _you_ going to stop?! Hm?'

I just blinked, my mouth open slightly as I let her yell at me. There wasn't anything I could do, I couldn't stop her, or give her the answers she wanted. Because I didn't know what the answers were. I glanced at Jack but he was much the same as me, there was a look in his eyes that told me I'd be best to let her finish...maybe he, unlike me, had seen this before.

Gwen had started shaking her head now, tears running down her cheeks as she glared at me. 'Come on! How many, how _many _more people are going to die because of you and your ridiculous secrets?!' Her voice rebounded off the thin walls as she took an angered step towards me, moving her arms this way and that as if to exaggerate her point.

'How many?!' She roared, shoving an accusatory finger in the direction of the tragically murdered girl still lying on the floor. Looking at the girl, her face seemed to sober a little and a small amount of the fire in her eyes subsided. She dropped her hand and looked up at me slowly. 'They're right, when they say you can run but you can't hide. Because that's all you seem to be doing, just running. And now you're taking us along for the ride too.' She told me, the anger still pulsing behind her words.

'How long are you going to drag us along before we all get killed? Why can't you just tell us everything?!' She cried, looking over at Jack. It seemed like she was asking him for back up, because I saw him shake his head, just a little bit before glancing at me.

'How long do you intend to drag us along like silly little fools in the dark, Bella? Because I'm getting tired of it. I don't like not knowing exactly what's going on.'

I sighed sharply and looked down at the bloodstained floor. 'I know.' I muttered through gritted teeth.

Her eyebrows raised and the gesture made her look sarcastic. 'Oh! You know, do you?!' She asked, taking another step towards me.

'So tell me, Bella, how many more girls are going to die because of you, miss know-it-all?!' This final outburst came out even louder than the rest and it was now that Jack finally saw fit to intervene.

'Alright, alright. Come on, Gwen, that's enough. I think we should go back and you can both let off a little steam. I'll deal with all this later.' He said, meaning the body. With that, he put an arm around Gwen's shoulders as she began to sob, not able to tear her eyes away from the murdered girl on the floor beside me. They teleported away and I was left alone for a moment. I let out a long sigh and hung my head, what on earth was I going to do now?

If Gwen didn't trust me already....how long was it before Jack lost faith, too? If I could change everything that had happened, then I would, God knows how much I wanted to do that. How much I've wanted to wish the Maleficus away, out of existence. There isn't a day goes by that I don't wish with all my heart that I still had my family with me, that no-one had been killed and that I'd never come to Cardiff. But it seems that some things just don't work out like that.

I sighed and stepped away from the girl's body, unable to stand the sight of it out of the corner of my eye. I stood patiently by the door, waiting for Jack to come back for me. A few minutes later, he reappeared again, car keys in hand.

'Come on, Bella. We better go back in the SUV.' He said simply, opening the door and ushering me out. I took one last pained glance at the girl, then the door closed on her and the chaos surrounding her.

* * *

The drive back was a quiet one, Jack hardly said a word to me and it was obvious he was tense. Eventually, I turned my head to face him. 'How's Gwen?' I asked softly, immediately taking an interest in the gear stick.

He glanced at me, then back at the road. 'As well as she could be.' He told me, turning a corner. 'She doesn't like secrets, Bella. I don't know what it is, but she's always hated people keeping things from her and she hates keeping secrets herself even more.'

I frowned. 'How come?'

He shrugged. 'I think it was when she started Torchwood, she was working odd hours as you have to do with Torchwood and her boyfriend started asking questions. She hated keeping it all from him because he just got frustrated that she wasn't with him as much and it nearly ruined their relationship.'

I nodded a little. 'I think I can understand that.' I replied, thinking of a big secret that I myself had had to keep back when I was just seventeen.

'He found out eventually, but there were other secrets too, but I won't go into them. It's not my business to tell all her life story to you. But the point is, I think she's seen the damage secrets can do, the damage that was inflicted into her relationship; and now she's seeing these girls get murdered and the only thing she can think to blame it on is you, because you have a secret you're not telling her.'

I frowned again and looked up out of the windscreen, watching as a mother held her young boy back from running across the road. 'What about you? Do you blame me because I'm not telling you who I am?'

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and he was frowning a little, he looked as though he was thinking very carefully about his answer. 'I blame a combination of things.' He finally said before he brought the car to a halt near to the hub.

* * *

As we walked into the hub, I had a feeling that the argument wasn't finished and I was right. Gwen was waiting for us, stood by the rift manipulator with a hard expression on her face. Jack sighed beside me. 'Come on, Gwen. Let it go for now, yeah?' He said gently, taking off his coat and hanging it up.

'No.' She insisted before moving her gaze to look at me. I felt like her eyes were burning through me, as though she thought she could read my mind. 'I want to know what these Maleficus have got against you.'

I stared back at her, my mind fumbling about for an answer. But like before, I didn't have one. I didn't really know what the Maleficus had against my family, why they hated us so much that they wanted to kill us. The only thing I could come up with was jealousy. We had a family, we were close and we were powerful as a result. They wanted to destroy that. At the moment, there wasn't another explanation. I sighed. 'Gwen, I don't really know.' I told her wearily.

She shook her head, stepping down so she was on the same level as me. 'No, you do know! You're just not saying anything.' She replied. The anger was still evident in her voice, but at least she wasn't shouting anymore.

'Gwen,' I reasoned, keeping my voice even, 'I have no idea what they had against my family; the only thing I can think of is that they were jealous of our closeness, of our connections. We were quite intimidating to someone who didn't know us.' I told her, hoping that this answer would silence her. It was the only answer I had.

'No, come on. People don't just kill people for the sake of it!' She cried, throwing her hands in her air before narrowing her eyes. 'You must have done something. Something to provoke them, or make them angry. I can't believe that you were all innocent.'

My eyes widened and now, I got a little angry. 'Gwen! We. Didn't. Do. Anything.' I iterated to her insistently, annoyed that she could think we had started it. How dare she suggest that my family deserved to be dead because they had provoked it!

'How could you not? How could they just suddenly decide, oh, I know, let's go kill the Cullens.'

I sighed again, getting exasperated. 'Gwen! Listen to me now, because I'm telling the truth. Until the day they showed up in that field – the day they killed us – we had never seen them before. Not ever. We didn't even know who they were. They were just suddenly attacking us and calling us by our names, they knew who we were. But we had never heard of them.'

She stopped in her tracks; she had heard this part of the story before. She raised an eyebrow. 'Never?'

I breathed out, relieved. 'Never.' I confirmed. 'So we couldn't possibly have done anything to provoke them, or make them angry.' I added, a little triumphantly. Not triumph over her, but just that this ridiculous argument was finished with.

But to my dismay, Gwen narrowed her eyes thoughtfully again. 'But...'

I cut her off; I wasn't taking anymore of this. 'Gwen, I have no fucking idea why they wanted to kill my family so bad! Ok? I don't know why they did it, or how they knew about us, but they just _did_! And if you have a problem with it, go argue with someone else. Because we didn't do anything wrong and if you so much as _dare_ suggest that my family are dead due to their own actions....' I left it there, the echo of my shouting still bouncing off the walls.

I turned swiftly on my feet and went, not caring that it was too fast, to the little room I slept in. I'd move if Gwen wanted to go to sleep later. It wasn't like I actually needed it. With a loud sigh, I dropped down onto the bed and put my head in my hands.

'Great, just marvellous.' I muttered angrily to myself before falling sideways, my head hitting the pillow.

* * *

I don't know how long I lay there, but it must have been a while because when the door opened tentatively and Gwen's nervous face peered in, she was wearing the jogging bottoms and T-shirt she wore to sleep in. 'Bella?' She whispered hesitantly, still lingering at the door.

I rolled onto my back and sat up, pushing my hair back. 'Yeah?' I replied gently, knowing that it was no good arguing with her. If she had decided not to trust me then that was that. I couldn't do anything. It was impossible for me to take everything that had happened back. I couldn't reverse those murders. Not the ones of the people I loved, or these innocent strangers.

She came in and sat on her bed, a slightly sheepish expression on her face as she looked at me in the near darkness. 'I'm sorry.' She told me quietly, not dropping her gaze. 'I guess I just got scared, and I shouldn't have said a lot of the things I did. I know it wasn't your family's fault and you don't know how sorry I am for suggesting it....I know how I'd have felt if someone told me it was Rhys' own fault he got killed.'

I nodded and looked up at her. 'I know...I'm sorry, too.....you know if I could change everything, I would. But I can't.'

'I know.' She whispered, glancing down at the floor. 'And I know you're only keeping who you are a secret because it's for our own good.'

I nodded again and reached out for her, giving her a rare hug. It didn't really matter that I was stone cold and rock solid, it was still a hug and she seemed grateful. 'It'll work out....we'll work something out.'

I pulled back and she settled herself under her quilt. 'Night.' She murmured, rolling over.

I smiled slightly and lay down. 'Night....and like I said, if I could change it all, then I would. Without a moment's hesitation.'

With that, I rolled over too to stare at the wall, thoughts running around and around my head. Tomorrow would hurt even more, I knew it. Because we'd have to investigate this new murder, find out about this girl and all of a sudden, the reality of her existence would hit me, just like with Ebony. And we would have to start thinking of a way to defeat the Maleficus – for once, they were right; I couldn't run anymore.

* * *

_If I could change, I would_

_Take back the pain, I would_

_Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would_

_If I could stand up and take the blame, I would_

_I would take all my shame to the grave_

* * *

**_Thanks for reading and please leave me a review and remember to check out that competition on my profile. Plus, the Doctor Who/Torchwood crossover that me and BananaBabe903 are writing called 'Here come the Girls' – on her profile. _**

**_X =D_**


	12. Franklin

_**Hi, thank you all so much for your patience. I've had a bit of a hectic time lately and haven't been able to write as much. But the new chapter is finally here! I hope you like it and yes, I've gone back to Paramore again with the song 'Franklin' – one of my absolute favourites by them. Enjoy and please review!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter Eleven – Franklin**_

* * *

Gwen looked like she had hardly slept as we walked out from our little room and into the main section of the hub. She'd done her best to cover the bags under her eyes with makeup, but nothing could disguise the weariness that lurked behind her pupils. Jack was already there, sat in a chair with his hands behind his head – looking bright and oddly cheerful as ever.

'Hey. So is everyone sorted now, or are we all going to start shouting at each other again?' He asked jokingly, getting up when he saw us.

Gwen and I both smiled a little sheepishly. 'No, sorry, Jack.' I muttered as Gwen ducked her head a little. 'We're fine.'

A smile spread across Jack's face and he crossed over to a nearby computer, typing a password in as he glanced at the bags under Gwen's eyes. 'You ok?'

Gwen nodded and ran a hand through her thick hair. 'I'm fine....just, couldn't get to sleep.'

I looked down at the floor, knowing it was my fault. The circumstances were enough to keep anyone awake; I wished I could sleep myself. I'd never missed it before, spending the whole night with Edward had been an added bonus of being a Vampire – I'd loved our hours together. But now....I longed for the numbness of sleep, a chance to drift away from reality for a few hours and simply forget.

'Anyway,' Jack started again, turning back to the computer screen. 'While you two were playing kiss and makeup, I ran a visual of the girl we found yesterday through the database and I've managed to work out who she is by cross referencing school records, dental records and DVD rentals.'

Gwen frowned. 'What's DVD rentals got to do with anything?' She asked, peering at the screen where a picture of a girl was displayed. I could tell it was the same girl we'd found yesterday, but she looked so much younger...so much more innocent. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a smart ponytail, her face was bare and she was smiling at the camera, her school uniform perfect.

Jack twisted his head around to look at us. 'It's got absolutely nothing to do with it, it just sounded cool.'

The corner of my lips twitched up at the joke. Maybe a few witty comments were what were needed around here, even amongst everything that was happening. 'So, what did you find?'

Jack turned back to the screen again and began bringing up various records. 'Emma Hart, won a music award at school, left after her GCSEs and works as a part-time waitress in a cafe. But you wanna know the really weird thing?'

'What?'

'She's an orphan. Before she got that poky flat, she lived at the orphanage down on Garrett Road, has done since she was about three.'

It was my turn to frown this time as I took in the all the information displayed on the monitor. Her GCSE grades, employment contract and documentation for the flat. 'How is that weird? A lot of people are orphans.' I replied, Edward – to name just one. His parents had died of Spanish Influenza back in the early 1900s. I felt the familiar pierce of survivor's guilt penetrate me as I thought of the time he had first told me that – back in rainy Forks. It was funny, I used to hate that small, permanently wet town....but now I missed it. Forks represented everything I had held dear....and everything I had lost.

Jack shrugged and turned completely to face us now. 'I think they're choosing people that won't be missed, people that might not particularly be reported missing. I don't think they mean for the bodies to be found by the police at all – it's all for us.'

The way he said 'us', rather than 'you' was some sort of selfish comfort to me, reminding me that I wasn't alone to face my enemies. 'I think you've got a point there.' I agreed, looking at Gwen to see what she thought.

'It makes sense....but what about people at the cafe where Emma works? Or if Ebony had any clients for the gallery?' She mused, clicking off the page to look at the picture of her again. 'How old was she?'

'Seventeen.' Jack told us gravely. 'She was seventeen.'

Seventeen. Just seventeen years old. I was responsible for the death of a seventeen year old girl...the same age I had been when I met Edward, the same age I had been when the first thing even remotely exciting happened to me. The age I had been when my life really started to kick off. I'd stopped all that. Cut it off. It wouldn't happen. She was dead, because of me.

'Bella?' Jack asked softly, looking at me with concern in his eyes. 'You ok?'

I nodded numbly. 'Yeah...'

'Anyway, as for the people at the cafe, they might not know her all that well. She's only been working there a short time, plus it's only three days a week. And as for the clients at Ebony's gallery, they probably wouldn't report her missing – the gallery is quite new, she probably didn't have any regulars yet.'

Gwen and I both nodded as I stared at Emma's picture, not able to tear my eyes from the image that was only a few months old. She hadn't left school all that long ago and I just couldn't believe what I'd done. This couldn't go on for much longer, in fact, I intended for no more lives to be taken. One was too many. Let alone two.

'Was....was there any DNA on the body?' Gwen asked quietly, fiddling with the zip on her jacket. Last time, obviously due to Evanna's detection blanket, there had been absolutely no DNA or evidence on or around the body. None at all. It was almost as if the wounds had just afflicted themselves on her body. But of course, they hadn't.

Jack shook his head gravely. 'No. Blank.' He replied, reaching a hand round to turn the computer off. 'I think we should go to Evangeline and talk to her again, ask her about Emma and also if the Maleficus were there again last night.'

'Yeah, good idea.' Gwen said, zipping her jacket up. I nodded too, not bothering to go get my coat. To be honest, I'd forgotten that last night was Monday night; I had been distracted by mine and Gwen's argument. But yes, it had been Monday yesterday and Monday night was the night of Infraterra Nox's meetings.

* * *

'Oh....you again.' Evangeline said, her face slightly disappointed as she opened the door. She wasn't wearing as much makeup as last time and she, like Gwen, looked like she hadn't slept. 'What do you want?'

Jack let out a long sigh and a sympathetic mask crept over his face, the expression made me think that he'd done this more than once. 'I'm afraid someone else has been killed. Someone involved in your group – at least from what we've gathered.'

My heart dropped and it felt like my throat was constricting in empathy for the poor woman. Her eyes grew wide and she seemed to grip at the doorframe for support. Her next question came out as a deathly whisper. 'Rosa?'

'Her name was Emma Hart. Is that what you all knew her as?'

Evangeline nodded, the action looking stiff and forced. She stepped aside a little way so we could come in, she held the door open until we were all in then closed it silently.

I looked around the room, shock clearly written on my face. In stark contrast to the cluttered, messy room we had been in before – it was now immaculately clean. And by immaculately clean I don't mean that she shuffled a few things around until the living room looked at least normal. No, I mean that _all_ the books were gone, tidily stowed away on shelves and in cupboards. Every surface was dust free and the coffee table was actually shining with the effort with which it had been polished.

'Been cleaning?' Gwen asked softly, looking at Evangeline with understanding in her eyes. I was reminded again that Gwen had also lost someone very dear to her.

Evangeline nodded, staring at the floor. 'Yeah.....not much else to do...' She murmured as her eyes misted over. She gestured slightly to the couch and we sat down hesitantly, waiting until she lowered herself into a chair.

'Was it the same....as last time?' She asked quietly, pulling her sleeves down over her hands as she stared straight ahead.

I nodded, my insides twisting as I watched her go into a zombie-like state. I knew all too well what that felt like. 'Is there anything important you can tell us about Emma?'

'Rosa had only been coming for about a month....she hadn't really got close yet....'

We all knew that by 'close', Evangeline meant to Vampires. 'Only a month?'

She nodded dully. 'Yeah, didn't really know her all that well. Nice girl though.....really nice girl.' At this point, tears began slowly streaming down Evangeline's face and just like last time, I reached out and handed a tissue to her.

'I'm sorry.' I whispered, meaning each word with all my being. I was sorry. Inconceivably sorry....for everything. For this whole chain of events that I had unknowingly started off – like an endless row of dominoes falling down...knocking the next one.

Evangeline shook her head disbelievingly. 'Are they targeting us because of our beliefs? Is that it?' She inquired, her voice a little stronger as she looked up, her eyes fixing on me. 'Are they going to keep on killing and killing till we're all gone?' Her voice was bordering on quiet hysteria as she questioned us.

Finally, Jack intervened. 'No, we don't think they are. We can't reveal too much, but there's more to this than just targeting the group. But I'm being honest when I say this – no-one else will be murdered. No-one.' He told her with such professionalism that I wondered how he did it. 'We won't let it happen.'

I found myself nodding along. 'We're going to stop this, Evangeline. We won't let them kill again.' I added, covering her hand with my ice cold one – immediately regretting the action.

She pulled her hand away with such speed I wondered whether she just didn't want to be touched, or that the feel of my hand surprised her. But I knew the answer when she brought her eyes around to look at me again – suspicion and curiosity clearly painted in their expression.

Gwen seemed to have noticed the suddenly tense atmosphere. 'We have to go now, Evangeline. But like Jack and Bella said, we're not going to let this happen again.' She said as she stood up, both of us following suit.

Jack nodded as he opened the door himself, Evangeline still looking too numb and surprised to get up. 'We'll be in touch, but can I just check something?'

When she didn't answer, he continued anyway. 'Those two new Vampires....were they there last night when you gave the donated blood?'

This made her look up, tears still hanging in her eyes. 'Yeah....they were there.'

Jack nodded as Gwen and I stepped out of the door. 'Ok, thanks. Bye.'

* * *

As we raced through the streets in the SUV, rain sheeting down and pounding on the windows, I stared out with unblinking eyes, observing the pouring rain. I missed it, to some degree – the rain. I missed the wet feeling on my skin, the patter on my roof as I slept in Charlie's house.....I missed Forks, full stop. I missed being in love, I missed being a teenager, I missed Edward sneaking through the window at night and curling up with me on my small single bed.....but most of all....I missed _me_. Everything that had made me simply me.

Edward, Charlie, Alice....all the Cullens, Jacob, school, the woods, Wuthering Heights......everything that I'd had, and everything that was a part of my life. It was all gone, and I missed it like hell. I desperately longed to rewind a few years and to just go back to the time where my only worry was where Victoria was. That seemed minor now compared to this – at least I'd been surrounded by people who loved me then. But now, I was all alone.

And as we turned the corner, the rain slipping down the window in drizzly streams I felt well and truly homesick.

* * *

_And when we get home, I know we won't be home at all_

_This place we live, it is not where we belong_

_And I miss who we were_

_In the town that we could call our own_

_Going back to get away, after everything has changed..._

_Can you remind me of a time when we were so alive?_

_Do you remember that? Do you remember that?_

* * *

_**Thank you very much for reading, hope it was alright and please, please leave a review!**_

_**X =D**_


	13. Spotlight

_**Hey, a quicker update this time – due to my being on half term. I know the updates recently have been reasonably short but this one is hopefully a little longer, I hope you like it and please keep reviewing! The song is 'Spotlight' by MuteMath.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter Twelve – Spotlight**_

* * *

The damp, dusty smell of the unused Tourist point crept up my nose, along with the smell of newly scratched wood. Long, thin shavings of splintered wood lay on the dirty floor beneath the now graffiti spoiled desk. But this was no ordinary graffiti; it wasn't the unruly, crude scrawling of some random teenager. No, these italic letters were perfectly formed, all carved beautifully into the wood with some unknown tool.

It read '_How long are you going to keep your dark little secret, Bella? We'll get you...we're coming.'_

'Dark little secret...' Gwen murmured, looking at me questioningly. Jack shot her a warning look.

I looked back at her with imploring eyes. I didn't need a repeat of yesterday's argument. 'Gwen, you know why I can't tell you. You'd be in even more danger-'

She cut me off. 'No, no....I know, calm down. But how do they know that you haven't told us?'

I shrugged, glancing at Jack. 'Of course they know. It's the only rule of our kind; we can't reveal who we are.'

But Gwen didn't seem satisfied with my answer. 'But how can they be so sure, Bella?' She turned to look at Jack. 'Is there any way they can be spying on us, Jack?'

Jack shook his head, but I caught the flash of uncertainty in his eyes. 'No. It's just like Bella says – it's the rules. Now come on, I don't think we should stay standing here.'

I nodded and we both followed Jack down to the hub, a feeling of security washed over me when the circular door clicked into place behind us, cutting off the rest of the world and the terror it contained.

'I'm going to check the chemical levels in the cells. Gwen, could you turn the monitor on please?' Jack said as he flung his coat over a railing and ran a hand through his hair.

Gwen nodded and loaded an odd looking program, with various bars going up and down – representing the chemical levels, I presumed. This left me sat alone on the steps by the rift manipulator, thoughts running around my head.

We had to stop the Maleficus, before it was too late. Correct that – _I_ had to stop the Maleficus, and before they killed again. It was too dangerous for the others, way too dangerous. They could help me track them down and arm me as much as they liked – but this was a battle that I would, in the end, have to fight alone. There was no other choice. I was alone, and maybe I was supposed to be. I suppose I'd always known this day would come, every battle I've ever had to fight, I've had help with. Whether that help be Edward, Jacob, the werewolves or any of the Cullens. Even the many Vampires that had shown up to witness for my beloved Renesmee....

But how to fight them? It was impossible, surely. Even with Blake's clones taken out of the equation – there was still Evanna's fearsome strength to contend with, not to mention Carla. I could see no way of winning my fight – I would be dead within, maybe....ten minutes? If I was lucky.

But then...maybe that was how it was supposed to go. Maybe this was how it ended – perhaps this was how I finally died. I could be with Edward again, wherever he was. He'd never believed there was anything more for people like us – for our kind, but Carlisle, the fantastic Carlisle, thought there was. And I agreed with him. If everyone else got it – why shouldn't we? I'd never killed, not in my life. I hadn't committed a sin, and Edward deeply regretted his so much that he'd even tried to keep it from me at first.

The idea of someone as angelic and perfect as Edward not residing in some kind of heaven was, to me, ridiculous.

* * *

'Earth to Bella?'

I looked up to see Jack leaning over a railing to the side of me, grinning at my thoughtful expression. 'Jack, we need to stop this. _I_ need to stop this.'

Gwen turned away from her computer to look at me, her eyes worried upon seeing my serious expression. 'What do you mean?'

I looked down with hard eyes and bit my lip. 'Listen, we might as well face the truth now, rather than later. You can help me, and prepare me and stand by me for all your worth but when it comes to the end, the very end....this is my fight. Not yours.' I paused, surprised that they hadn't interrupted in protest.

'And there's no way you can win it. I'm not sure there's any way that I can win it either – but that's the point. This is my fight to lose, not yours.'

Jack grimaced and stood back, crossing his arms. 'Bella...we're not defenceless-'

'No!' I exclaimed, standing up. 'You are though, you don't understand. We _can't_ win. They're too powerful. We might be able to track them down, and you might have some fancy technology that I can use – but in the end, we will lose. Only it won't be we, it'll be me. Just me. I'm not letting you die over this.'

Gwen sighed and kept her eyes cast downwards. I saw the visible slump in her shoulders and I knew that she knew I was right. I turned my head to observe Jack's reaction, but what I saw didn't really surprise me.

His eyes were hard with a determination clear enough to intimidate anyone that knew him less than I did and his lips were set in a hard, thin line. 'Bella, I'll agree with you and say that this is not Gwen's fight. She could die all too easily and I'll give you that.'

I nodded, an overwhelming wave of relief washing through me as I was assured that Gwen would survive this. Now I just had to convince Jack of what was the barefaced truth. 'Thank you.'

But his face was still determined, still fixed on his opinion. 'Bella, I've agreed with you about Gwen. But not about me. I can't die, even if I get burnt to pieces, I put myself back together again. I can help you with this – it's not just your fight.'

I opened my mouth to retort, but Gwen got there before me. 'Oh don't be ridiculous, Jack!' My head whipped around to take her expression in. She was staring with wide, worried eyes at Jack, looking as though she might break at the thought of him dying. Of him leaving her – like she didn't want her heart broken again.

'It takes ages for you to get yourself up again, I'm not stupid. I do have a memory! You can't do this. Bella's right....'she gave me an apologetic look, 'this isn't our fight. We can help, and do all of that – but in the end, this is her fight.'

'No, it isn't.' Jack insisted. 'I can help, it would be ridiculous for me to stand back and let her die when I can't myself...I just don't stay dead.'

Before I knew it, Gwen had leapt up to stand in front of him, looking at his face with tear filled eyes. There was something about their sudden closeness that seemed very private – like I should turn away, or avert my eyes.

'Please, Jack...be reasonable.' She pleaded softly as I noticed her hand twitching, as though she longed to touch him. 'Don't leave me on my own....I wouldn't have anyone if you....went.'

I swallowed, my eyes stinging as I watched Jack gazing back at her, torn between two duties. One to protect people, and to wipe out a threat and another to look after the person he cared about. The person he cared about a lot more than he let on. Edward used to look at me like that....I felt a deep stab of grief hit me in the stomach and I shut my eyes – seeing his face as though it were engrained on the inside of my eyelids.

'I'm not going to die, Gwen.' Jack replied gently, placing two hands on her shoulders. 'We need to find the Maleficus, before they kill again. Ok?'

Gwen looked down and nodded, blinking the tears away. 'Yeah...'

* * *

We all fell into deep thought after that, Jack seemed to be concentrating hard, trying to come up with some way of tracking the Maleficus down. So far, Gwen had thought of us turning up to the next Infraterra Nox meeting, but Jack and I eliminated that option right away. It put way too many people in danger, there was no defences and on top of that, it left too much time and too much to chance. Any number of people could be killed in the week that we'd have to wait before then – we had to act, and we had to act soon.

I closed my eyes and Edward's glorious face appeared before me again. My mind traced over the perfectly sculpted contours of his nose and jaw line, my hands longed to touch his cool, marble lips and I wished that I could just melt in his warm butterscotch eyes like I used to. It seemed like an age ago that he had been with me, had vowed never to leave me. But it was only a matter of years, not centuries.

I exhaled, the defeated sound drifting across the tense atmosphere. Suddenly, Jack looked up. 'What about the DNA tracer that landed here a few months ago – the Blackavus one?'

I blinked, not knowing what on earth he was going on about. 'What are the Blackavus?' I asked as Gwen turned her head to Jack, her expression thoughtful.

'The Blackavus are an alien race with very specific DNA, they don't share any part of it with someone else – it's completely unique; even from mother to child. Therefore, it's very difficult for their crime systems to track people down because there's no family links they can follow.'

I frowned slightly, still a bit puzzled as I thought of the strange alien race. 'And how could their DNA tracer thing help us? Evanna leaves no evidence, remember?'

Jack nodded. 'Yes, I know....but this tracer is one of the best that the Blackavus crime systems use. It's designed to get past cover ups and all that. Seriously, their crime rates are amazingly small....' He trailed off, his eyes slipping into memory as he seemed to think back to some unknown time when he had visited the mysterious race.

I glanced at Gwen. She was biting her lip, face still thoughtful as she looked up at me. 'I know where you're coming from....we could try it to see if it gets past Evanna's thing....but, Jack, it's not safe.'

I turned to Jack, trying to gauge his thought processes. 'It's worth a try.' He told us, shrugging slightly.

Gwen's eyes widened. 'Jack! It hasn't been tested yet, anything could happen when we try to use it! We don't know quite what it does....some of them supposedly transport you to the person the DNA belongs to – we don't want that happening.'

Jack looked stumped for a moment, his hopeful expression failing by a fraction. But then, two seconds later his face lit up as something came back to him. 'No, wait! Even if it is one of those – we get shrouded in the same sort of security blanket that you say Evanna gives out,' he glanced at me before going on, 'we might be alright.'

'Might, Jack, _might_. We can't take these sort of chances, suppose it's faulty? Or it doesn't work, or gives us the wrong information?' Gwen argued, standing up.

Jack stood up too and I followed suit, not wanting to stay on the steps much longer. Jack looked between both Gwen and I with decisive eyes. 'We'll throw it to a vote. I vote that we give it a go. Gwen?' He said, looking expectantly at Gwen.

Gwen sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. 'Sorry...but it's too dangerous and I'm scared. I vote no.'

I looked down as Jack turned his gaze on me; I wasn't sure what to do. It did seem like a feasible idea to me, something that seemed logical to try. But on the other hand, Gwen had a point. If this alien technology hadn't been tested, then how were we to be sure that we were safe using it? Because despite my fighting talk, I wasn't particularly keen on dying today....I wanted a little preparation time, even if it was just a day to enjoy being alive.

I bit my lip, looking up as a deep sense of pressure seemed to come down on me. I closed my eyes and jumped. 'I vote....yes. I think we should give it ago.' I gave Gwen an apologetic glance, 'sorry, Gwen. But I can't think of anything else.' I told her.

Jack nodded and pulled his coat on. 'Right...I'll go get it then and we'll try scanning it over that message on the desk, since that's the most recent thing.'

I nodded too and watched him go, leaving an awkward silence between me and Gwen. I turned to look at her. She was just looking downwards, hands in the pockets of her jeans.

'Uh...you could just stay here, Gwen. You don't have to come try out this thing with me and Jack...' I tried to say cautiously, but her head snapped up to look at me.

'No way, I'm coming.' I frowned slightly, but she carried on. 'If Jack's going, I'm going. I won't sit here thinking he could potentially get killed.'

Understanding hit me and I nodded. 'Ok....well, sorry....but I really couldn't think of anything else.'

'I know...it's fine, I guess I'm just a stickler for safety.' She attempted a smile as Jack returned, holding a small rectangular metal tile with a few bleeping lights on.

'Is that it?' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at me, slightly defensive. 'Alien technology is usually compact.'

I shrugged and made to follow him out through the circular door, down the long darkened corridor and out into the musty surroundings of the derelict tourist point.

* * *

'Right, I've programmed all our identities into this thing, so if it does do the transporting business too, then we're going. Ok?' Jack announced as he pressed a few buttons and scanned the desk. We were all assembled in front of the newest message, the threatening words burning into my memory as we waited.

'Right,' Jack finally said, taking hold of Gwen's hand and my considerably colder one, 'let's go.' And with that, he pressed the large, flat button on top of the device.

* * *

It was dark. So dark I was convinced that Jack and Gwen beside me wouldn't be able to see a thing, but with my eyes I could make out where we were. The typical smell of manure and fresh, wet grass lay half a mile above – we were in the countryside, underground. The rocky surroundings suggested caves and we were stood precariously on a ledge, sharp outcrops of rocks jutting out between us as we clung on, silent as the night. It was then, that we heard the voices....the voices I secretly never wanted to hear again. The taunting, malicious, scheming voices of the Maleficus.

They echoed down through the caves and I guessed they were most likely quite a way from us, but we could still hear them. And that meant, if we made the slightest sound – they would hear us. A sharp feeling of panic and fear ran up my back as my eyes darted to Gwen and Jack. Humans. So very fragrant humans....they would smell them, and they would come....

But then, I remembered Jack's words. About the DNA transporter giving protection....I prayed to a million Gods that the technology still worked perfectly.

'She'll have found our message by now....not long before we claim our prize....' I heard Evanna declare, her dark, enchanting voice travelling along the dark caves to us. There was a small movement behind me and I glanced to see Gwen quivering, her eyes wide. Then, I looked down to see Jack take her shaking hand in his large on and give it a firm squeeze.

The action made me look away as Evanna's words rang in my all too able ears. It was private, in the dark....it was just between them and it made me want to cry. All I wanted was for someone to hold my hand again, for Edward to hold me close to him and whisper my name. All I wanted was to have someone that loved me....and someone I could love.

Then, stirring me from my longings, Blake's jesting voice drifted down to fall on our ears. 'Mm...' he murmured in agreement, 'she'll fall for it....she's died to protect the people she's close to before. She'll do it again. She's like a danger magnet.'

Someone laughed – I think it was Evanna. The cruel, cackling sound echoed and clashed on the walls, making even me feel scared. 'And I think the best part is, those stupid humans are falling for it with her! They don't even know what or who she is!'

That did it. I glanced at Gwen and her eyes had grown wider, she seemed to try and step away from me but stumbled and before Jack or I could stop her – she screamed.

There was a strange twisting sensation in my stomach and the dark, rocky surroundings disappeared, replaced by a comforting view of the hub. I turned around. And almost took an intimidated step back.

Both Gwen and Jack were staring at me, both their eyes wide with confusion....and accusation.

* * *

_You know the one thing you're fighting to hold_

_Will be the one thing you've got to let go_

_And when you feel the war cannot be won_

_You're gonna die to try what can't be done_

* * *

_**Hope that was a more satisfying length for you – please review and tell me what you think!**_

_**X =D**_


	14. Ignorance

**_Thanks as always for the reviews! I'm really glad you're all still enjoying this. Here's the next chapter, sorry it's short – there is a reason. The song is 'Ignorance' by Paramore. Please review at the end and tell me your thoughts!_**

**_X =D_**

**_Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise._**

**_Chapter Thirteen – Ignorance_**

* * *

Their accusatory gazes and serious expressions burned right through my granite flesh and that was when I knew: this was it. This was the end. No ifs and no buts this time – this was the end of it all. With Blake's words, their trust was evaporated and now they stood there waiting for an explanation.

'What did they mean?' Gwen asked, her voice rough as she kept her distance from me. 'When they said you'd been willing to die for the people you love before....that you've dragged them into danger before. What is this? Some kind of sick game for you?' Her voice was loud, falling on unwilling ears as I drank her words like poison.

'Gwen,' the plea did no good, she carried on. I knew there was no sense in interrupting her. Our argument yesterday had frayed her trust, and though we'd patched it up again, that weakness was still there. And now the cloth was well and truly broken. She didn't trust me anymore – didn't want to believe me.

'Is this what you do?! Lure people into danger and then try to act the heroine? Is this how the others died – trying to protect you? Is this what Edward did?!' Her words cut me through like a dozen knives as I remembered Edward's desperate face – that knowledge in his eyes, the knowledge that he was going to die. And then his whispered order – hide. He'd done it to protect me; to save me.....I was a monster.

I stood there and let her words wash over me, bathing me in blood. She shouted things at me, mostly nothings....until she slowed down, realisation drifting into her angered eyes.

'Wait....you; you're the same as them, aren't you? You never actually said – you avoided the question about having a weird gift like them but I remember now! You slipped up!' A look of confidence and knowing crossed her face as she stared defiantly at me. I looked back at her, eyes wide as I searched my memories for a time when I had let myself slip.....

'You said about the rules....but instead of saying the rules of _my_ kind, you said _our_. You're just like them!'

If there had been proper blood in my veins, it would have run cold. My eyes flickered from Gwen to Jack. He was leant, defeated, back against a railing as he looked at me. He knew. And he was just waiting for it all to click into place. I should have seen this from the start, the writing on the wall....he was clever, cleverer than most.....and he knew now. He could put two and two together all too easily. It was just Gwen to reach the conclusion now, and she was almost there.

I swallowed the venom in my mouth, preparing to run. I had no choice, did I? 'Yes...I'm like them. But please, you have to trust me!' I exclaimed softly because yes, I was begging now – pleading for them to stop and understand. I knew it wouldn't work, but I had to try something.

Gwen's eyes widened, her face ludicrous as she gawped at me and threw her hands in the air. '_Trust_ you! You lied to us, Bella! You lied! You dragged us into this, you knew damn well what and who they were and you never said – all to protect your precious identity!'

She carried on and on, until eventually, a hand descended on her shoulder and Jack said, in a surprisingly even tone, 'Gwen. Stop.'

She stopped. Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes hardened as she shrugged him off roughly, turning her back on me to face him. I saw my opportunity – I could run now, I could find the Maleficus and end this.......somehow. I tensed to run, I really did. But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Instead, my eyes were fixed on Gwen and Jack, both of them tense and angry as they stared at each other, ignorant of my longing to run from here, from them.

'Gwen,'

'No!' She interrupted him and threw an accusatory glance over her shoulder at me. It stung. 'You can't possibly trust her, Jack!' Her broad welsh accent really came out now as she yelled at him, her face almost going red. 'We don't know who she is, or what she is, or even where she's from! We're in danger and she knew more about it all along!'

She turned back to face me and I noticed the look of admittance in Jack's eyes. She was right and he damn well knew it. Here goes.

Jack sighed, the sound coming out loud in the suddenly silent air. 'She's right, Bella. I want to trust you, but I can't. I think it's time you told us who you are....this can't go on. If it's against the rules, then on all of our heads be it. But you need to tell us now; it's no time for silly games.'

A deafening silence followed and it rung in my ears, their eyes burning me through, harsher than any flame. There wasn't even the tick of a clock, or the drip of a tap to distract anyone. It was just us....and a burning, buried secret hanging, hidden in the tense air – just waiting for my mouth to utter the words that would set it free. And then the lion would leap forth, but not to them....to me. This was the end.

We're always told never to tell a secret, but I guess some things find a way to get told, sooner or later. And once the truth was out, heard by the jury, they could make their verdict. They could send me away, or lock me up....or any number of things. But what I truly, truly hoped they would do was for them to just wash their hands of me. For them to turn me away and force me to deal with the Maleficus alone – the way it was meant to be. With no-one getting hurt, and me going to join Edward, where I belonged. Surely....this was how it was supposed to be?

I took a deep breath, the agitated, tense cold air whistled through my teeth and down my unmoving windpipe to fall on lungs that didn't move anymore. Their sweet scents burned my throat and I could almost taste the dread, anger and impatience that lingered and almost emanated off their stiffly held forms. I could waste no more time.

I re-arranged my features to a face of non-expression and stared straight ahead, concentrating on the dust that floated in the air.

And very simply, my words rang out. Syllables of dread, falling on shocked ears.

'I'm a Vampire.'

* * *

_Where's your gavel; your jury?_

_What's my offense this time?_

_You're not a judge, but if you're gonna judge me_

_Well sentence me to another life_

* * *

**_You can probably see now why I wanted to cut it off there. Please review – even if it's just to say you're annoyed! _**

**_X =D_**


	15. It's Beginning to Get to Me

_**Ok, ok! Firstly, a massive apology for the delay with this one. Everything got a little hectic but it's here now! I hope you like it. The song is 'It's Beginning to Get to Me' by Snow Patrol. **_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 14 – It's Beginning to Get to Me**_

* * *

A piercing, hysterical, wild, terrified scream punctuated the air and shot right through me, if I'd have been human I would have jumped. Gwen staggered back, eyes wide and out of their sockets as she stared at me, fumbling behind her for the metal railing to support herself on.

I didn't stop to think what I was doing. I just rushed forward, my hands outstretched. 'No, no! It's ok! I'm not dangerous, I promise!'

She screamed again, looking horrified at me as one hand stretched out for Jack, her hand tightening around his arm. 'Get away from us!' She shouted, her voice shaky as she pushed the words out.

I stopped and took a couple of steps back, my hands held up as though a gun were being pointed at my chest. 'I'm sorry.' I whispered, gazing at them both with imploring eyes. 'But I'm not, I'm not....I'm not what you'd think a Vampire to be.'

I glanced at Jack to see him narrow his eyes at me as he slid an arm around Gwen's stomach, pushing her behind him. 'Tell us everything...what do you mean you're not dangerous?' He seemed to be putting a lot of effort into staying calm but I could hear the slight tremor in his voice and saw the ever so subtle quiver of his hand as he spoke.

I exhaled slowly but kept my arms where they were by my head, Gwen was still peering over Jack's shoulder at me; clear fear rested in her wide pupils. 'I don't drink human blood.' I told them, keeping my voice even as I maintained eye contact. 'My family and I, we're different from the others, in that fact that we don't _want_ to be monsters. Carlisle, my father in law, if you like, always said it was making the best of a bad situation.'

'So...what do you drink?' Jack asked, a flicker of interest in his eyes now.

'I feed on animal blood. It's not as potent or nearly as satisfying as a human's blood, but like I said, I don't want to be a monster. We compare it to a human living on Tofu.' I smiled slightly. 'Vegetarian Vampires.'

I watched at Jack seemed to relax, but he still kept his guard up, one arm holding Gwen back. I decided to keep talking, to tell them everything. I didn't need the questions like 'how come you don't melt in daylight?' or 'what about garlic?'.

'You see my eyes? They're a sort of dark brown now, but do you remember when I came? My eyes were butterscotch; they get darker when it comes to the time I need to hunt. And just so you know, I don't melt in sunlight, garlic and holy water have absolutely nothing to do with me and a cross is nothing but a piece of fancy shaped wood. They're all just myths.'

Jack was looking at me with definite interest by now; I'd even go so far as to say he was intrigued. 'And what about sleeping in the daytime? And where are your fangs, your teeth look perfectly normal to me.' There was a joking lilt to his voice that sent a shock of relief through my cold veins. He believed me. However, Gwen was still visibly frightened and angry – probably not a good combination.

I smiled a little tentatively. 'No fangs.' I replied, opening my mouth to bare my perfectly normal teeth. 'And I don't sleep. At all.'

There was no look of accusation or fear in Jack's face at all now. If I wasn't mistaken, there was almost some kind of acceptance lingering there, just a little bit. 'So you've never killed another human being, never tasted our blood?'

I shook my head. 'No. Never have and never want to. I'm inhumanly fast and strong, I have a gift of my own just like the Maleficus....but I don't want to hurt anyone, let alone kill them.'

'Are there others like you?' He asked.

I knew the answer he wanted to hear, it was the same answer I wanted to hear when I'd asked Edward all those years ago. But it was not the answer I'd give, because I wasn't going to lie. 'Only the one clan, but they were killed by the Maleficus too. The rest of them, as far as I know, all prey on humans.'

I saw his shoulders slump and a faint look of terror crossed his eyes for a split second. 'So the Maleficus, they....' he trailed off, not wanting to say it. I didn't want to either. So I just nodded in reply.

At this point, Gwen hesitantly edged out from behind Jack, still eyeing me carefully. 'You...you don't want to kill us?' She asked. She tried to keep her voice even, but I could hear the effort behind the words.

'No. I don't want to kill anyone, especially not you.' I sighed and ran a hand through my long hair. 'Listen, I really am so sorry that I didn't tell you before. That I didn't tell you about me, or the Maleficus or everything....but you have to understand that I've just broken the only rule of my kind.'

Gwen frowned, the anger was back. 'So? Who cares, Bella?! No-one's going to find out, you should have told us and then we would have at least known what we were up against!'

I put my hands down, suddenly realising that I was still holding them up like a scared banker being robbed by some eighties blagger. 'You don't understand – there are people to find out. We're not completely uncivilised.'

She stopped, staring at me almost incredulously. 'What do you mean?'

I sighed. 'There's a family, they're called the Volturi and I suppose they're the closest thing we have to a royal family. If there's any Vampire getting out of hand, or if something happens, they're always there to dispose of the troublemaker. They're terrifying and they'll kill you without thinking twice.'

* * *

From there, I just talked. I talked and talked and talked, glad that as a Vampire my voice couldn't go hoarse. I explained everything about the Volturi; about Caius, Aro and Jane and Alec. I told them all about their guard and people such as Chelsea who stuck to Aro like glue and I painted the stories of my encounters with them in the tense air. They listened, stunned into silence as they drank in my words, learning of a whole new world they had yet to uncover.

Eventually, I got around to telling of my Renesmee. Of all the Vampires who had shown up to witness for her, to plead with the Volturi – to show them that she wasn't what she first appeared to be. She was different, she was special. This story in particular made Gwen's eyes widened and I think I even heard her gasp at one point. I carried on.

Eventually, an hour later, when my knowledge was exhausted and they looked as though their brains were going to burst with information overload, Gwen asked, 'so, hold on. If Chelsea has that weird relationship thing for example, and Jane does that thing with pain; not to mention the Maleficus and the gifts you said they had....What can you do?' She said it like she was afraid, not wanting to know what terrifying gift I possessed.

I smiled for this. Because my gift wasn't scary in the least, it was almost comforting. Well, it was to me anyway. 'My talent is purely defensive. I'm a sort of shield, all those other gifts they have that involve messing with your mind – they don't work on me. I just block them out. Jane can't hurt me, Alec can't blind me, Aro can't read my thoughts and Blake's clones don't work on me because they're made by his mind. And....do you want to know the really cool part?'

'What?' Both Gwen and Jack asked in unison; they seemed happy that my gift might help rather than hinder.

I grinned now as a kind of elated feeling spread through me. They accepted me, they were interested....they didn't want me to leave. And for a moment I forgot all the other problems to do with the Maleficus and my dead family and the Volturi....all I could think was this – they don't hate me. 'I can push it out; I can shroud other people with it too.'

'Seriously?' Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. And when I nodded, he grinned and said, 'impressive!'

Gwen nodded in agreement as she looked up at me. 'Bella?'

'Yes?'

She glanced back down, then up again, a rosy pink tinge creeping across her cheeks. 'I'm sorry...for being so horrible. I...I know why you did it and I understand now, what it all means and who you are and everything. And I'm sorry. Really, I am.'

I smiled at her, a wide genuine smile that felt good to pull. 'It's fine, Gwen. I would have reacted the same way, don't worry about it.'

I glanced at Jack, but upon seeing the look on his face, I wish I hadn't. It was thoughtful, contemplating....but his grim expression didn't make it look like he was thinking about something pleasant. I wondered what was on his mind. 'Jack? What's wrong?'

He looked up, a strange blankness in his eyes. 'I just can't help but thinking....' he trailed off, glancing between Gwen and me.

'What?'

'Well, if the only way to kill these Maleficus is to burn them and all we have is a shield that's no use against Carla....how can we possibly win?'

His question hung in the still and silent air, stopping us in our tracks. The smile fell from my face and with it, the elated sensation that had still been pulsing through me. He was right....how on earth were we supposed to beat them?

So in the end, even with all this honesty and telling them who I was, we were still back to square one. Plain, useless and hopelessly blank square one. The reasons why I hadn't wanted to tell them were still there and so were the problems. The Maleficus weren't going to go away and I was only reminded of how much of this was my fault. I dropped my head and sighed, I couldn't get away from hell for long.

* * *

_Are you beginning to get my point  
That all this fighting with aching joints  
It's doing nothing but tire us out  
No one knows what this fight's about_

* * *

_**Hope that was alright, I'll try to update sooner this time. Please review!**_

_**X =D**_


	16. Hallelujah

_**Ugh, sorry again! I ended up leaving it more than a week once more! Sorry, here it is, hope you like it! The song is 'Hallelujah' by Paramore.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 15 – Hallelujah**_

* * *

Gwen and I both stared at Jack, I can't account for her, but my own mind was racing ten to the dozen. He was right – how on earth were we supposed to make this work? I glanced around, hopelessly wishing that my eyes would fall on some miraculous piece of alien technology that would solve all our problems by itself.

"Well...you can protect us from Blake's clones, right, Bella?" Gwen asked in quiet voice as she lowered herself down onto the metal step by the rift manipulator.

I sighed, looking at her with a grimace. "Sorry....for some reason it only works for me with that one....I don't know why. But I tried that when one was attacking Esme. It didn't work." I replied, cursing myself. I still hadn't figured out why I could protect myself from the clones, but not the others. The look on Esme's motherly face was scarred into my brain and it flashed once more before my eyes, another bout of uselessness washing over me.

Her face fell and I could see the fear across both of their expressions. "We're basically defenceless." I added, knowing I wasn't really doing much to improve the atmosphere.

We stood in silence for a while, listening to the cogs of each other's brains. A mad idea struck me, but it was way too dangerous. We could go to the Volturi and tell them everything....but no. They would count Jack and Gwen as witnesses and say they needed to be disposed of – that they could be my payment. The thought made me sick and I swallowed the building venom in my mouth with a look of disgust on my face. No, the Volturi were definitely not an option.

I had thought about going to them before, a few months ago before I came to Cardiff. I'd briefly considered telling them about the Maleficus and my family, but I didn't want to. I'd only just come to accept it, I didn't want to have to retell the entire story...let alone put up with their desperate efforts to recruit me.

I sighed and looked up, all out of ideas that might actually keep Jack and Gwen alive. Eventually, I just said, "I'll just go. I'll go, let them have me.... it's the only solution. I can't put you in danger anymore."

But Jack shook his head. "No way, Bella, we've been through this before. We're with you in this...stop being so individualistic and just accept it. I've compromised on not involving Gwen in the fight....but I'm helping. In some ways, I'm more immortal than you."

I sighed exasperatedly, crossing my arms in a huff. "I'm not being stubborn....I just don't want you to get hurt. We need to think of a better way....but there isn't one."

"You're not very optimistic." Gwen muttered, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips. Mine tugged upwards too, if a little grimly.

"There isn't anything.....even if we could somehow convert the shield onto Jack to stop Blake's clones attacking you - there's still Carla. She's their secret weapon; she'll hang back until she's absolutely needed....plus the shield is no physical defence, Evanna can walk through it. Or rather run." I reasoned, palms outstretched. "The only way to make this work is if I just go. Then you two are safe, and I'm out of the way – along with all the trouble I always seem to drag along behind me."

I was still trying to reason with them when Jack's face suddenly lit up, his face cracking into a grin. He looked as though his hair might have been electrocuted as he bounced. "What about that brainwave converter that crashed here years ago – we never did find a use for that!" He exclaimed.

I turned to look at Gwen, inwardly groaning as a smile spread across her face too. "That's true," she replied, turning to me. "It converts other people's brain wavelength onto you – we could try hooking you up to Jack, see if the shield works then!"

I was still doubtful. "We've got no way of telling if it works though."

Jack shrugged. "It's better than nothing." He answered back and I wondered how he could be so blasé about this. I thought about repeating the word 'Vampire' again to see if it would perhaps remind them of the seriousness of all this. Didn't they realise that we were practically unstoppable, especially the Maleficus?

I shook my head for what felt like the hundredth time. "It still wouldn't work...in order to have even the slightest chance of overpowering them, we'd need at least three more of my kind. But like I said....none of the others are like me."

We trailed off into silence again then, Jack looking thoughtfully determined and Gwen with a seemingly vacant expression on her face. I sighed and sat down on the steps near to Gwen, leaning my head against the metal pole beside me. I stared up at the skylight, remembering how I had dipped my hand into the pool of sunlight not too many hours ago....blissfully watching the sparkles on my skin.

It brought back a memory. Me, and my family....we were all stood outside the Cullen house, the sun beaming down on us in a rare gesture from behind the dense grey clouds that were a permanent fixture in Forks. I had my Renesmee in my arms and I watched with happy contentment as her skin glowed a luminous white and her smile shone even brighter. I closed my eyes for a moment and relived the memory...I smelt my daughters sweet smell, slightly marred by Jacob's bitter scent from where he had been holding her. I remembered the feel of Edward's hand in mine, his lips against my hair as we sparkled together – finally equals. I could hear the wind chime laughter of my sister, Alice, as she poked fun at Rosalie and danced around, pulling Jasper with her. I recalled seeing Carlisle and Esme's smiles, Emmett's large frame boom with laughter and all the while we sparkled in the sunlight... perfect happiness. We were alone – it was just us, the others had left – the Irish, the Egyptians, the Amazonians....

* * *

My eyes snapped open to see a gloomier picture of the grey metal surroundings of the hub. "Zafrina!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet with inhuman speed.

"Who?" Jack and Gwen asked in unison, looking at me with evident puzzlement on their faces as I smiled.

"Zafrina, Kachiri and Senna. They're the Amazon Vampires." I explained, still grinning.

Gwen looked incredulous. "There are Vampires in the Amazon?"

I nodded. "They're brilliant, they were one of the clans who came to witness for Renesmee, she took to Zafrina particularly..." I trailed off as I remembered the wild, fearsome looking woman.

Jack frowned. "But I thought you said there weren't any others like you."

"Their eating habits are...uh....normal, but that doesn't make them bad people. Really, if anyone will help us, Zafrina will. Trust me." I replied, knowing I was taking a big gamble by asking them to trust me like this after all the lies I had already told.

Jack and Gwen were quiet for a moment, both exchanging doubtful glances. I sighed. "I promise, with them – we actually have a chance of winning. All we need is a flight to Brazil, ASAP." I said, trying desperately to persuade them. "Please....let's at least go talk to them, tell them what's going on."

Gwen was still suspicious. "And what if they report us to these Volturi people?"

I shook my head. "They won't – they aren't the type. Once I explain, they'll help, trust me. As soon as Zafrina knows about Renesmee..." I stopped again, thinking of my precious daughter and how much Zafrina had loved her – well, how much everyone had loved her, really. You couldn't help it...there was just a natural pull, like an instinct. Zafrina would be livid....

"They were good friends of ours....they'll want to avenge my family any which way they can. Please, this really is out only chance." I pleaded again, imploring them with wide eyes.

Jack and Gwen looked at each other again, expressions not giving either one away. "What do you think?" Gwen asked Jack, glancing at me.

Jack seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment, his lips pursing into an almost pout as he stared into space. "It can't harm, just going to see them. Can it?"

I nodded, smiling again. "Trust me, this'll work." I replied.

Jack sighed, taking his hands from his pocket. "Right then...we better get out to the airfield."

I frowned. "What airfield?"

Jack smiled, grabbing the SUV keys. "You don't think Torchwood uses just _any old_ public airport, do you?" He answered with a grin, his eyes glinting.

I smiled back and followed him out along with Gwen. And for once, since I'd lost everything, I felt a tiny glimmer of hope deep down in the pit of my stomach. Things might, just might, work out alright. If we played our cards right...and if we were careful.

* * *

_This time we're not giving up_

_Let's make it last forever_

_Screaming, 'Hallelujah,"_

_Hallelujah_

* * *

_**I know that again it wasn't very long, but you might have to get used to these slightly shorter updates now – I do try, I promise! Please review and tell me what you think!**_

_**X =D**_


	17. Believe

_**Hi, thanks for the reviews! Glad you're still enjoying the story and I hope you like this chapter! The song is 'Believe' by the All American Rejects. **_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 16 – Believe**_

* * *

As the murky sight of Cardiff gradually got smaller and smaller, I leant back in my reclining leather chair and sighed. The air in here was hot and absolutely reeked of sweet blood, but I slowly breathed out and closed my eyes. My stomach felt like it was full of a thousand tiny bouncy balls and they were all ricocheting from the sides, sending rattles of anxiety and nerves through my body.

As we flew, I lost myself in a land of memories, remembering Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri's long limbs, their smooth, deep voices and fast, darting movements. I smiled at the thought of their animal skins and alert red eyes, the wide smile of Zafrina and her loud laugh. I nodded to myself, confident that they would be the people to help us; to avenge my family.

* * *

Long distance flights pass remarkably quickly when you're nervous and before I knew it, we were touching down at a secret airfield in Brazil. Zafrina's parting words to me rang in my ears – the instructions of how to find her if there was ever an emergency, or simply if we wanted to see her.

"Everyone ready?" Jack asked as we stood by the plane door, preparing to disembark.

I swallowed and nodded, feeling like the air in my lungs had turned to concrete. "As I'll ever be."

Gwen nodded too, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as the door opened and we were greeted by blistering sun and a blast of scorching hot air. Not exactly winter over here then. Jack smiled at us both and stepped off the plane, making his way down the steps and to the boiling concrete below. Gwen quickly followed behind him, almost stumbling in her haste to get off; she'd looked a little green on the flight and I was guessing that she didn't like planes all that much. Finally, I practically glided down after them, ignoring the gawping stares that I was receiving from the airfield workers.

I watched, fascinated as a man in a dark suit and sunglasses (how could he wear a suit in this heat? It didn't bother me, of course, but he was human – surely he must be sweltering?) handed Jack some keys identical to the ones for the SUV and gave him a curt nod. It was only then that I looked up to see an SUV, the exact copy of the one we had in Cardiff. It was waiting for us on the actual runway, positioned so we just had to shoot off forwards to get out of the airfield. I shook my head. It was all like something from a James Bond movie.

"So....looks like we're headed for the rainforest." Jack announced as we got into the car and he turned the air conditioning up full blast.

I nodded and murmured in reply, my head running through the directions and trying to think of the best place to abandon the car. We drove in silence for a while, the car hurtling through bends, civilisation left far behind us as we climbed our way up and around, according to my instructions.

It was only when a fly flew past the window, that something struck me. "Hey, Gwen, what about your injections?"I suddenly got very panicked. "People are supposed to have vaccinations before they come here, aren't they? Malaria and all that."

Gwen held a hand up dismissively. "It's fine, Bella – all sorted. Torchwood has a policy of giving its employees lots of different regular vaccinations to ensure they are covered at all times to go anywhere in the world; just in case there's an emergency like this." She told me, smiling. "Well, that's the police for those of us who can't die, anyway." She glanced at me and Jack.

I nodded, relief taking over from fear. "That's pretty clever, actually." I said as we took another sharp turn, the road getting bumpier and bumpier. It must be pretty bad actually, for us to be able to feel it with this car's suspension; I barely felt a speed-bump when we went over one in Cardiff.

Soon though, we were growing closer and closer, so I told Jack to stop the car. "We'll have to walk from here," I said, opening the door and flooding the car with heat. "Don't worry, it's not far."

* * *

Ten minutes later and both Jack and Gwen were already sweating. Gwen's hair had plastered itself to her head as her face was covered in a light sheen, her lips parted as she breathed in the hot, humid air. And as for Jack, his shirt was stuck to his skin, his short hair wet and face shining. "How much further is it?" He asked as he batted away another fly of some sort and we stepped into a large clearing.

I held a hand up, looking around. "Hold on." A canopy of bright green leaves overhead blocked out the sunlight, but the light that did shine through was tinged a mellow green colour as it pooled down to the forest floor, illuminating the hundreds of exotic flowers that littered the clearing. I smiled, it was quite simply beautiful. It was almost like mine and Edward's clearing, just a more exotic version. For example, whereas our meadow had a small stream, this was filled with the sound of slow flowing water – the Amazon. "We're here." I told them quietly, still taking in the sight with wide eyes.

"Ok, " I said, stepping into the middle of the clearing. "You better stay back a little way, I have to call them."

With that, they took a few steps back. They both looked relieved to not have to walk any further as Gwen ran a hand through her sticky hair and Jack tugged at his soaked shirt. I took a deep breath, inhaling all the forest smells, wet leaves, fresh wood, sweet pollen...Jack and Gwen's blood.

"Zafrina! Senna! Kachiri!" I called, my voice causing a few foreign looking birds to take flight as I spun around, waiting to glimpse their dark skin or elongated arms.

"How can you be sure that they'll hear you? They could be anywhere." Gwen asked, frowning a little.

I just smiled. "Oh don't worry, they'll hear."

And sure enough, not a minute later, Zafrina burst through the walls of undergrowth, her run and movements still as jerky and her appearance still as untamed as ever. As her crimson eyes took me in, they widened and a broad smile spread across her face. "Bella!" She put her long, impossibly strong arms around me in a long embrace before finally pulling back and turning to Jack and Gwen. "And who are your friends?"

I gestured for Jack and Gwen to come forward and they did so, albeit practically quaking with fear. Gwen looked positively terrified and Jack seemed more than a little nervous as he hovered a little bit in front of Gwen in an unconscious move to protect her from the wild, darting woman before them. I scolded myself for not telling them what she was like beforehand, a little preparation might have gone a long way.

"Zafrina, this is Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. They work for Torchwood...it's an institute investigating alien life on earth and..."

"Yes, I know what Torchwood is." Zafrina told me, studying Jack and Gwen.

I looked at her, perplexed. "Really?"

Zafrina smiled and nodded. "We Amazonians are very wise, _minha criança._" She replied, placing a hand on my shoulder. "So, why have you come, we haven't seen you in so long. And where is _meu precioso _Renesmee?"

At her question, my face fell and my eyes dropped to the forest floor. "Zafrina...I'm afraid I have quite a long story to tell and...It isn't a nice one."

Her eyes widened, hands jerking to her mouth. "Tell me nothing has happened to _meu querido_!" She exclaimed roughly, but upon seeing the expression on my face, the hope from her eyes faded. "It is bad?"

I nodded. "It's very bad." I murmured, looking to Jack and Gwen. "Can we perhaps go somewhere more comfortable?" I asked, knowing they weren't going to last much longer stood up in this heat.

Zafrina nodded, her actions having lost their exuberance. "Of course....follow me. Kachiri and Senna will be back soon...they have gone to hunt."

I heard Gwen gasp slightly behind me and I briefly gripped her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze, careful not to hurt her. She squeezed back and the action soothed me a little....I didn't like the prospect of what lay ahead. This would be the first time I repeated the whole thing....and I knew I wasn't going to like it.

I'd never truly said my goodbyes to my family, never properly mourned them...not visited the place where their ashes tangle with the trees and wind. I just never found the moment. Right there and then, I sent a little prayer to wherever they were, hoping it would carry up through the dense growth of trees to the eternal heaven I was sure they rested in. How could they not? They were good, gentle, brilliant people....why shouldn't they have an afterlife like anyone else?

* * *

_Your innocence is not forgotten_

_I hope you know that where you are, I wish you well_

_I hope you sleep in a perfect memory_

_You know it's hard, I've tried_

_But I could never say goodbye_

* * *

_**Hope that was ok and please review to tell me what you think!**_

_**Also, here's a little translation of some of the Portuguese words there...**_

_minha criança – my child_

_meu precioso – my precious_

_meu querido – my darling_

_**Personally, I think they all fit better in the story when they're in Portuguese, but just so you know. **_

_**X =D**_


	18. Let the Flames Begin

_**A big thank you to those of you who are still reviewing. Hope you like this chapter. The song is 'Let the Flames Begin' by Paramore. **_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise. **_

_**Chapter 17 – Let the Flames Begin**_

* * *

A deafening, untamed and harrowing screech echoed around the cool mud hut as Zafrina clung to me, eyes wide and wild. "No...No, no.... _família suave_, how could they? Why?"

I swallowed, unable to say anything. Because I had no idea why the Maleficus had done this...all I knew was that they weren't going to stop. Repeating the whole story had left me exhausted, my still heart was twisted into a thousand knots and my ribcage seemed to be cutting into my lungs. I glanced over to Jack and Gwen, surprised to see tears streaming down Gwen's face and unshed ones shining in Jack's eyes. But then I realised....they hadn't heard the whole story before, only odd snippets.

"I don't know," I murmured roughly, swallowing more venom. I didn't know what else to say, I wasn't sure there was anything to say. I sat there as Zafrina clutched my arm, if I had been human my bone would have crumbled to dust by now. I could see her aching inside, wishing she could cry....the same way I had as I watched the flames consume them. I wanted the Maleficus to burn...I wanted the flames to lick around them and erase their existence. I wanted revenge.

A voice behind me distracted me, and I saw Kachiri's worried face at the door. "Zafrina? We heard you scream...." she trailed off, her bright crimson eyes falling on me. It was obvious she had just hunted. "Bella? Where is Edward, and Renesmee...you have come alone?"

At this point, Zafrina let out another heartbreaking screech and Senna appeared too, rushing to Zafrina's side. "What is it?" She asked quietly, eyes darting to me as I saw a few pieces fall into place for the both of them. I was surprised; it was one of the few times I had heard Senna speak. I remember thinking of Zafrina and Senna as two parts of one organ, only Zafrina was the mouthpiece.

"Who are the humans?" Kachiri asked, her eyes slowly going over Jack and Gwen. I could hear Gwen's ragged, scared breathing and I thought it best to intervene.

"They're with me...we, we have a problem. It's to do with Torchwood..."

Kachiri frowned while Senna sat beside Zafrina in comforting silence. "Torchwood? What's going on? Where are the other Cullens?"

"Gone!" Zafrina howled, sounding like some mad cheetah. "Gone, they're gone...burnt, killed... _assassinou_!"

Both Kachiri and Senna's eyes widened, lips parting slightly. "Assasinou?" Senna whispered, looking to me.

I looked down, knowing I couldn't repeat the story again. Thankfully, at this point, Zafrina launched into a long stream of Portuguese. I could tell that she was relaying the story for them, because though it was another language, I could hear the distress and sadness in her deep voice as her words flew out, out in a flurry.

I caught phrases like _'Querido, tranqüilidade, pacifico_ Carlisle' and '_encantador _Esme'. Though I didn't speak all that much Spanish and Portuguese, I knew she was talking of Carlisle and Esme's peaceful, welcoming manner, disdain and sorrow painted in her words as I saw looks of pain cross Kachiri and Senna's faces.

She finished, spitting the word '_sádico'_ viciously. "You have suffered an _oprimir _loss, querido," she said softly, looking at me.

I swallowed again, glancing at Jack. "Well....there's more," I said, hoping that Jack would take it from here.

Jack offered me a small, reassuring smile and he leant forward, pushing his unease for the jerky vampires to the side. "They're after Bella, and they're murdering innocent people in Cardiff to get to her. Each time someone is murdered, they leave a message for her, written in blood."

Zafrina gasped, reaching out for me. "How many?"

Jack glanced down, then up again. "Two, so far...but who knows what's happened while we were away. The reason we've come is because they need to be stopped, and soon," he paused, looking at me, "Bella keeps insisting on giving herself up, we tell her it's ridiculous."

"It is ridiculous, _minha criança!" _Zafrina cried, clutching my hand. "How would that help anything?"

I shrugged. "I don't want anyone else to die because of me," I told them quietly, knowing they'd already heard it before.

Zafrina shook her head. "No, no...You always were overly concerned while others welcomed the fight."

I sighed. "The point is, we can't do this alone....you're the only ones who I could think of that might help us bring them down. This can't continue and I...I want them dead." An unfamiliar feeling of malice twisted in my stomach and for a moment I imagined them all dead, just insignificant piles of ashes....the wave of triumph that washed through me only heightened my desire for revenge.

Zafrina nodded. "Consider us your allies. We will bring these Maleficus you speak of to their deaths. They will get what they gave out. Brutality, and no mercy." Kachiri nodded in solemn agreement with her words and Senna's eyes blazed with determination.

Zafrina squeezed my hand. "Don't you worry, querido, we will help you."

Jack looked relieved as he leant back, sighing. "Thank you so much, I don't know how we will ever repay you." He told them, meaning every word as Gwen nodded too, wiping the tears from her face.

Zafrina shook her head, looking at Jack. "We do not need repaying. It will be our pleasure to wield revenge on those who so mercilessly killed our friends."

Kachiri murmured in agreement. "Let the flames begin," she murmured, grinning as they all stood up.

* * *

The flight back was a....interesting one. Zafrina sat with me and Senna; a silence hung over us like a veil, we couldn't make conversation for fear of bringing up the unmentionable so we flew in silence, wishing the plane could go faster.

Meanwhile, Kachiri and Jack seemed to be getting on like a house on fire. They were talking battle plans, strategies...I listened as Kachiri told Jack about Vampire combat and Jack returned the favour with his knowledge of alien technology that could help us. Both their voices were grim with solemn determination to wipe out the threat and it almost reminded me of Edward and Jacob talking and exchanging information about the newborns from Seattle.

Only Gwen sat alone, watching Jack and Kachiri from her seat as her eyes still shone. I wondered what was going through her mind as she looked at them...was it merely interest, or something more? I knew she liked Jack, I knew she relied on him and trusted him....I even suspected that deep down, she loved him. Was she beginning to see Kachiri as a threat for that love?

By the time we landed, it was dark outside and the black paintwork of the SUV blended with the dark sky as we made our way across the airfield. "It is much cooler here," Zafrina remarked as the cold British wind blew through her long hair and the airfield workers gave their animal skin attire strange looks.

I nodded. "It reminds me of Forks...with all the rain."

She reached out for my hand again, squeezing it. "It'll be alright, _minha criança._ I promise."

I swallowed, wanting to believe her as I stared into the distance, able to make out the trees and even the buildings on the edge of Cardiff, miles away. "I hope so," I whispered back as we reached the SUV and climbed in. My stomach started twisting again and the same thirst for revenge boiled in my veins.

* * *

_Somewhere weakness is our strength_

_And I'll die searching for it_

_I can't let myself forget, such selfishness_

_My pain and all the trouble caused,_

_No matter how long_

_I believe that there's hope, buried beneath it all_

* * *

_**Thanks for reading, hope it was alright and please review!**_

_**X =D**_


	19. It Ends Tonight

_**Hi, thanks as always for the reviews. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it and please keep the reviews coming! The song is 'It Ends Tonight' by The All American Rejects. **_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise. **_

_**Chapter 18 – It Ends Tonight**_

* * *

As soon as we arrived back at the hub, Jack took Kachiri, Zafrina and Senna to his office, where he briefed them in more detail about all the Maleficus had done and all about_ Infraterra Nox_. I watched from a distance, hands clenching into tight fists as I looked around. My face fixed on them all individually, Kachiri, Senna, Zafrina, Gwen, Jack....who would die tonight? Jack might claim he wasn't able to die, but who really knew for certain? Not every single being in the whole universe had tried to kill him, had they? Certainly not a Vampire. If Carla, Blake or Evanna incapacitated him and sucked all his blood out, what was he supposed to do then? He couldn't replenish his own blood, surely?

I was glad I wasn't in there with them; I didn't need to hear where my footsteps had led. I didn't need to hear about the blood of the two young women that was on my hands. I already knew, like a tattoo on my eyelids, I already knew. It was like a massive cause and effect chain, with me at the top, pushing loads of dominoes until people were falling like flies...all because of me.

After a few moments stood in silent fear, I noticed Gwen sat alone. Her lips were pressed together tightly in such a way that it looked as if she were holding back tears; as though she were watching some terrible event and could do nothing to stop it. In a way, I suppose, she was. Jack was running headlong into danger, and she couldn't do anything about it.

I sighed, knowing how she felt. I knew all too well the feeling of complete helplessness, just because you're _only human_. Just a stupid, mindless, fragile human that's too valuable to risk her life. Oh yes, I knew how she felt. "I won't let him die, you know," I told her with a sigh as I sat down next to her, my eyes fixed on her hard eyes.

She glanced at me. "You won't be able to do anything. He wouldn't let you." She said roughly, returning her persistent gaze to the floor.

"I won't let him die. I won't let any of them die. If anyone should die, it's me. I promise, I'll make sure Jack's safe."

She shook her head glumly. "If he's in danger, he'll just take it, because he thinks he's unbreakable, but he's not. He doesn't understand...he doesn't know how I'd feel if he weren't here. But he just goes in there anyway," she looked at me, "this is really selfish, Bella. But I don't want him to go. I want him to stay here, with me, where I know he's safe."

I nodded. "Yes, it's selfish....but people generally are when they're in love." I told her, thinking of how I'd held Edward back during the fight against the newborns, putting everyone I knew and loved in danger. But I had to know he was safe, I wouldn't have made it through the night without running down to the clearing otherwise.

She looked at me. "I'm not in love with him," she told me, though there wasn't much force behind the words and her furtive glance over at him contradicted them.

I shrugged, smiling slightly. "Sure, sure, whatever you say. But can I give you some advice?"

She put her head on one side noncommittally, biting her lip. "What?"

I covered her hand with mine. She didn't flinch from the cold and I guessed that she had got used to it. "Don't hide away because you're scared of rejection, or loss, or whatever else is holding you back. Live in the knowledge that, whatever his reaction, you told him. Don't live in regret."

She looked at me again. "I told you, I'm not in love with him!"

And, as before, I shrugged. "Fine...but, just remember what I said." I stood up. "Now, are you gonna show me where this wavelength converter thing is, or am I gonna have to find it myself?"

She smiled weakly and stood up too. "It's along here. I just need to connect you up, and then get the others so your shield will hopefully protect them from Blake's clones," she told me, glancing over at the office where the Amazonians were still chatting with Jack.

* * *

I felt four metal pads being pushed into my head as a strange electrical current ran through me, making my still bones vibrate and rattle oddly in their sockets. My head was filled with a weird, humming sensation, as though someone had hit a tuning fork against the table and then shoved it into my brain.

Next to me, Jack, Kachiri, Zafrina and Senna's eyes were closed, and I guessed they were experiencing the same sort of thing. I'd asked if this thing allowed us to share thoughts, which I thought could be pretty cool for a short period of time, but Jack had said it converted psychic tendencies only. Hopefully, my shield fell into that category.

"Right, done. Anyone feel any different?" Gwen asked as the metal pads retracted back into the machine and she flicked the off switch.

Jack grinned and jumped up, flexing his arms. "I feel like a superhero already!" He exclaimed, laughing.

Zafrina's booming laugh echoed around the hub, quickly followed by Kaciri's and Senna's quiet, subtle one. I smiled half-heartedly, but couldn't find it within myself to laugh. These people that I cared for, were about to risk their lives for me...why did I always end up making people risk their lives for me? I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.

"We're not just doing this to save you, Bella. We're doing it for them, For Carlisle, and Esme, and Edward and Renesmee, and all the others..." Zafrina told me, smiling sympathetically.

I turned my head to Gwen, frowning. "I thought you said this wouldn't cause us to read each other's thoughts!"

She glanced between us all. "It doesn't," she replied. "Why?"

Zafrina shook her head, holding up a hand. "I'm not reading her thoughts; I can just tell what she's thinking...it's the look on her face. She acts as though she's certain we're all going to die and she's already planning some sort of funeral."

Jack chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Bella. Everything's going to be fine, we have a plan."

I rounded on him. "Oh yeah? What kind of plan? Do tell me, Jack! Tell me how you're going to save everyone and get us all out of this alive! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just go now and give myself up!" I knew I shouldn't get angry, I knew I shouldn't be shouting at him, but I couldn't help it...it wasn't right that they were doing this. It just wasn't!

He sighed. "Calm down, Bella, please."

"Sorry," I said, biting my lip as I looked down, "I didn't mean to get angry. But really, do you realise the sort of danger you're running headlong in to?"

Kachiri spoke for him. "We all know how dangerous this is, that's why we came up with a plan." She nodded towards Zafrina, and my gaze shifted to her, fists clenching again as my heart constricted.

"Well," Zafrina started, grinning broadly, "I'm going to slow them down greatly by giving them each a slightly different vision..."

Jack nodded. "They're all similar, but with one small subtle change," he spoke as if he'd just discovered something genius – like the speed of light, or something.

"They're each going to see the other two as piles of ashes. I'm going to make them think they're alone. This should slow them down and make them pause for long enough for us to attack. Senna is going to take Blake; because we're guessing that without his clones, he isn't all that great of a fighter...Jack and I are taking Carla. You and Kachiri have got Evanna." She paused, looking around. Her gaze fell back on me. "Though, of course, I'd like to have Evanna....after all, she killed _meu precioso, _Renesmee."

I shook my head, teeth gritted. "No way, Evanna's mine." I told her and for the first time. I wanted this fight. I wanted to see them burn, I wanted to light the fires and watch as the flames devoured the people who had stripped me of everything I held dear. I wanted revenge for my husband, my daughter, and my family.

* * *

I swallowed, feeling like a thousand stones had been jammed into my windpipe as we stood in a long line, all holding hands, as Gwen's hand hovered over the button that would teleport us to the caves where the Maleficus had been before. I glanced at Zafrina who was stood beside me, but she just merely smiled, eyes glinting. I let out a long, shaky breath. Here goes. All this pain, all the suffering, everything that had happened....It ended. Tonight.

* * *

_When darkness turns to light_

_It ends tonight, it ends tonight_

_Just a little insight, won't make this right_

_It's too late to fight_

_It ends tonight, it ends tonight_

* * *

_**I know that might be a little short but the next chapter will be longer....the fight! Please review and I'm sorry if this one doesn't seem to be the same as the others, I'm not completely happy with it as I'm typing while sat in a bar at the B&B I'm staying in...But still, hope it's alright and tell me what you think!**_

_**X =D**_


	20. No More Sorrow

_**Ok, so you're probably going to hate me for what I'm about to tell you. But here goes....I'm going to split this fight into two parts. This first part, you won't be getting much action (sorry!), I've decided to put an extra part of dialogue in, which takes up most of the chapter. This first part will be reasonably short, but I'm doing it for effect, if nothing else. I hope you'll forgive me and please drop me a review at the end! The song this time is 'No More Sorrow' by Linkin Park, which I found fit the theme of this story quite well. **_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 19 - No More Sorrow**_

* * *

We were stood in the same place as last time, darkness surrounding us like a morbid beast, smothering any evidence of our presence. You could have heard a pin drop in that cave as we stood there, Jack breathing slowly, and the rest of us not breathing at all.

We'd talked, and we'd decided on what to do. This first part, I had been adamant about. I wanted my say. I wanted the chance to make them see, I wanted to watch the fiery determination in their eyes and I wanted to tell them what they'd done, who they had decided to mess with. I wanted to scare them. Though of course, I doubted I was too scary. But still, the chance to do so was better than nothing.

With a squeeze of the hand from Zafrina, I cautiously stepped forward, my eagle eyes mapping out every jutting rock and trap – anything that would cause me to fall from the precarious ledge I was now travelling. With my heart well and truly in my mouth, I reached the corner where I knew they lay...we couldn't smell their scents, thanks to Evanna, but there was a kind of presence. They were there. I was sure of it.

In that moment, I felt nothing. I felt nothing but rage, and anger and a desperate need for revenge. A sharp burst of courage punctuated my mind, and I stepped forward.

"Hello," I said softly, looking as they turned around where they were stood, eyes shocked as they took me in. They were stood in the usual formation. Evanna at the front, Blake lingering just behind and Carla all but out of sight at the back. The secret weapon; never to be underestimated.

A malicious grin spread across Evanna's face, distorting her naturally beautiful features until she resembled the wicked witch in Snow White. "Bella," she greeted me as though I was an old friend, a fact that sickened me to the stomach. She took a small step forward, but I held my ground. "What a surprise to see you here," behind her, Blake smirked. Carla remained expressionless. "What a surprise to see you here. Finally given in, have we?" Her quiet, taunting words rang in the air and my hand curled into a fist.

"Why did you kill those people?" I asked, voice remarkably even as I stared at the faces that I wanted so much to ruin. I wondered briefly if that made me as bad as them, but I pushed the thought aside. I was a Vampire, the morality ship had already sailed. "They were innocent. Mislead, but innocent. They never meant any harm. Why murder them?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear them say it. I wanted to witness the hate and obvious disregard for human life in their eyes and _know_ that by fighting them, I was doing the right thing.

Evanna's face fell into the sort of expression you'd wear if you were addressing a baby. "Aw, Bella...did we kill your poor, precious humans?" She cocked her head on one side, pouting slightly. "I am sorry..." That same sadistic smile crept across her face again as Blake stared at me, his shoulders twitching. I could tell he wanted a fight, but Evanna was dragging it out. For once, I was glad to her.

"It was necessary," he told me, stepping forward but still hovering behind Evanna. "We had to get your attention, to make sure you knew we meant business." His eyes flashed dangerously. "And believe me, we do."

I stared at them all for a moment. I gazed straight into their eyes, looking into the dark depths of their crimson irises and pitch black pupils. Hatred boiled in my stomach and I was convinced that I couldn't have wanted anyone but these people dead. Revenge and murderous actions went against my nature; they just weren't me....but the Maleficus? They were the exception to the rule. Well, they broke all the rules; they might as well be the ones that broke mine.

"You know, it's surprising," I said, my tone good-natured, though inside I was fighting for control of it. "You're obviously very clever, what with all the planning and such you must have put in..."I trailed off, glancing at Evanna and trying to make out that I knew something she didn't. Maybe I did.

"So, it struck me as a shock really....I mean, you must have investigated my family well, to learn their strengths, their weaknesses...the best way to attack." I swallowed, knowing I had to keep this together. "But in all that planning, all that preparation and tactics and defences....when it came down to it, you forgot one, extremely important, unforgettably vital thing."

"Oh, and what's that then?" Evanna snarled, the sound coming from within her as her eyes glinted impatiently. I could tell we were getting close now, I couldn't hold off the fight much longer.

I swallowed the venom in my throat for the second time, my hands clenched into the tightest fists imaginable as a final burst of adrenaline and courage rushed through me. "A Cullen never, ever goes down without a fight."

I was suddenly bombarded. The others rushed in at lightning speed and the battle begun. A dance played across the small cavern, every small movement involving a large amount of risk, every tiny mistake costing both sides. If someone else had been watching, they would have thought it was a very well staged fight-scene from the best show in town. But it wasn't.

Oh no, this was real. It was all too real. The guttural, feral growls that echoed through the caves were real. The sickening sound of granite against stone, teeth against bone was real. The sound of the wind created by rapid movement was real as it whistled through my ears. The effort in my muscles and raw determination in my stomach was real as I fought side by side with Kachiri as we tried to bring Evanna down...but we were well matched. Every move we made, she ducked out from it.

We were like lawyers, and they were the criminals, constantly finding loopholes in our actions. I knew this dance couldn't last much longer. Eventually, the music would stop...and someone would have to fall.

* * *

_No, no more sorrow_

_I've paid for your mistakes_

_Your time is borrowed_

_Your time has come to be replaced_

* * *

_**Again, apologies for deciding to split this up – but I hope you can sympathise with me on why I did it. I promise to update as soon as I can, so please drop me a review to tell me what you think of the chapter! It is purposely short for effect, the next will most likely be longer. Thanks for reading!**_

_**X =D**_


	21. Here We Go Again

_**Sorry it took longer than expected to get this to you, I hope you like it and please drop me a review at the end like nice little readers! Tee hee. Enjoy! The song is 'Here We Go Again' by Paramore.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Chapter 20 – Here We Go Again**_

* * *

It was devilishly hard to see who was winning and who was losing. So far, Evanna was without a right hand, thanks to a clever move from Kachiri, but apart from that, we didn't have that much of an advantage. It was as evenly matched as possible, but the problem with that was, it made it very hard to get the upper hand in any situation. Because even though in most cases, it was two against one, the Maleficus were quick, nimble and ridiculously clever.....and as I whipped around, rendering Evanna incapable of wrapping her strong arms around me in a deathly embrace, I caught sight of Jack and Zafrina faltering.

It had been a bad idea to bring Jack here with us. I don't know why on earth I had allowed him to come, it was ridiculous, it was stupid and it was dangerous. And not only for him. Zafrina was spending most of her time making sure that Carla didn't get anywhere near him, so chances for attack were often missed and with each missed opportunity, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I wished and prayed that we could somehow get Jack out of here, but I feared it wasn't possible....what would happen in the few vital seconds as we tried to create a distraction?

Fighting as a Vampire is not the same as fighting as a human being; not that I had done much fighting as either. For one, it's faster; so much faster, you can barely see where your opponent is, or what they're doing, so all you can do is just keep on moving. It's also a lot more dangerous, one tiny mistake, one precious second's hesitation, and you could be dead. It was as simple as that. You either concentrated or kept moving, otherwise, you have as good as surrendered. And surrendering wasn't something I was planning to do.

The hate and raw need for revenge still boiled in my stomach with every impossible movement, and my eyes were hard as I tried time and time again to bring Evanna down, but nothing was working.

Malicious snarls pounded in my ears as we continued to dance, the music not slowing yet. The criminals were still finding their loopholes, and we weren't passing any new laws to stop them. Now and again, I'd hear a feral grunt from Zafrina, or a low protective growl emit from Kachiri, but Senna and I remained silent, not wasting our time with snarling and screaming, though I wanted to. I wanted so much to shriek and scream to the high heavens about what they had done, about how they had destroyed my family as I ripped them apart. But I couldn't. All I could do was fight, and dart around, and duck and try to get my arms around Evanna's solid frame.....but with every move I made, the worry in my chest for Jack heightened until it felt like an iron lump, stuck in my throat. It wasn't going to go away.

The dance reached its crescendo, the music increasing in pace until we were performing a fast-stepped waltz, leaping and spiralling around and way from each other, snarls cracking in the air like a whip. I heard a pained cry from beside me, and I stole a millisecond to glance towards Blake. His left arm was lying on the floor, the white, pallid flesh twitching as it tried to reunite itself with its owner. Senna's usually so gentle eyes met mine, and I saw a flash of vicious triumph in them that I could never have previously pictured on her face. I grinned, though I knew things were nowhere near over yet. But a renewed confidence had begun to sprout inside me, shooting up like an icy fountain, bringing glorious relief.

* * *

Little did I know, that in those two, infinitely vital seconds...I hadn't been watching Jack and Zafrina. So I didn't see Carla dart around the tall, imposing woman to take advantage of the situation....I never caught her small but impossibly strong arm wrap itself around her waist...And I didn't witness Zafrina's horrified expression as Carla placed her hands either side of her head. I didn't see the burning hatred in Carla's eyes, her obvious intentions...

A harrowing, piercing shriek punctured that air and with that, the music stopped. Everyone froze and my still heart began thudding in my chest, threatening to leave a permanent imprint against my ribcage. It was as though all the rules of time had been carelessly thrown out of the window as I watched in horror, and the following events happened in what seemed to be slow motion.

Jack's eyes widened in sheer, human terror and an idea seemed to hit him like a blow to the chest. I swallowed, a moment of indecision washing over me. I think I had a pretty good idea what his idea was....

A sharp, protruding piece of rock was sticking out beside him, sharp enough for anyone to injure themselves. Definitely sharp enough to cut through flesh....especially if that was what you were trying to do. "Jack! No!" But it was too late. My panicked scream fell on deaf ears as he viciously pulled up his sleeve, and crashed his bare arm down onto the rock, dragging it sharply across the rough, spiked points. A strangled cry of pain escaped his lips as blood began to seep from the deep cuts in his arm. Wet, warm, crimson blood....so tempting, so sweet....

I held my breath, and I knew for a fact that Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were doing the same. But the Maleficus weren't. Carla had loosened her grip on Zafrina's head as she stopped screaming. She turned around slowly, as if hypnotised, to stare at Jack. Her cruel eyes glinted wickedly at the sight of fresh blood and she descended on Jack, the others following suit. They all seemed to be bewitched, held by the pungent aroma of blood. My gaze met Jack's, and I felt it was me who was bleeding....with watering eyes and a saddened expression, he nodded and mouthed two words to me. "It's ok."

"Go!" I whispered, though I knew whispering wouldn't do any good. The others hesitated for a split second, eyes darting regretfully to Jack before they leaped for the Maleficus, faces set with hard determination. I knew I had to move, I had to help....but for a split second, I was just stood there, with Jack's face burned into my memory. He looked so....vulnerable, so accepting...he knew what was going to happen and he was going to allow it. It was the same expression that Edward had worn as he told me to hide. I swallowed, and joined the others.

The sound of tearing skin and grinding bone began to infiltrate the air as we ripped them limb from limb; the flames of the fire Zafrina had lit crackled and created dark shadows on the walls of the cave. They were like puppets, an audience watching as we slaughtered our enemy. For once, there was a strong chance that we would win. Of course, they did fight back, but they weren't nearly as strong because we had the advantage, and they were weakened by the strong, irresistible smell of fresh blood.

Even as Blake was reduced to ashes and triumph was rising inside us all, I still couldn't push away the moist aroma of gushing blood, mixed with the sickening, choking smell of smoke. I continued to fight, side by side with Kachiri as we battled Evanna, weakening her with gradual success. But that smell still assaulted my sinuses and tortured my brain...Jack was bleeding. A lot. And I didn't know how long we could keep Evanna and Carla away.

Eventually, the very thing happened that we had all been trying to prevent. Despite Zafrina constantly trying to make Carla believe Evanna was dead, and vice versa, somehow, Carla escaped their clutches. And before any of us could stop her, her lips were against Jack's arm, sucking greedily as her eyes shone cruelly with bright crimson and Jack's face began to slowly pale. I stared for all of a second, transfixed on Jack's closing eyelids as he breathed out a final sigh of breath....and then I leapt.

A roaring, wild, untamed shriek of rage erupted from somewhere within me and I dragged Carla away from his limp body, tearing her limb from limb. Each inhuman, pained scream she gave out only served to encourage me as I delighted in throwing each arm and leg into the fire. Nothing but malice reined in my head now as I finished her off....I knew the guilt would come later, but it always would have done. No matter what. With a satisfied growl, I twisted her head from her neck, not even wincing as the bone gave a sharp cracking sound. I tossed it onto the fire, with the remains of her torso.

* * *

Silence descended on the cave after that, the only movement being the dancing of the crackling flames against the stone walls. I looked around, realising that somewhere in my untamed fury, the others must have finished Evanna off. I frowned. I'd been wanting this moment for so long....I'd yearned for so long for the Maleficus to become non-existent. And now we'd done it. They were gone. They burnt in very fire next to me, all traces being erased. So why wasn't there some overwhelming wave of relief? Why didn't I grin and cheer and dance? Why weren't any of us doing that?

I couldn't bring myself to feel any of those things. I just felt....numb. There wasn't another word to describe it really, just numb. I knew the others felt it too as I raised my head to glance at them and swallowed the venom still lurking at the back of my mouth. With scared eyes, I moved to look at Jack.

I had been right to be scared. He was completely motionless on the floor, mouth slack and eyes closed as if in sleep. But he wasn't asleep. The sheer white pallor of his skin was enough to tell me that, not to mention the completely cleaned wounds on his arm. Before I'd pulled her away, Carla had completely drained him, deprived his veins of the precious blood they needed.

"Jack..." I let out a dry sob and fell forwards towards him, pushing the hair from his face. He'd be ok though, right? He'd said he couldn't die, so he'd wake up any moment....wouldn't he? My eyes widened as he didn't move, no matter how much I hit his chest or yelled in his ear. He was just.....well....dead.

* * *

Gwen looked up from where she had been sitting to take us in. I watched with a sinking heart as her eyes traced over our faces, small bouts of relief flooding her eyes as she realised we were all present and correct. But as she reached the end of the line, her eyes grew wide and began to shine instantly with unshed tears. She stood up, hands trembling. "Where's Jack?" She demanded loudly, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Biting down on my lip, I stood aside to reveal Jack laid down behind us from where we'd teleported. My eyes ran once again over the white, ice cold face and the knife of guilt twisted itself even deeper in my stomach. "Gwen, I'm...I'm so sorry..."

"No!" She let out an agonized screech, running forward and collapsing over the body. "No!" She cried again, her hands spreading over his still chest, searching for a heartbeat that we all knew wasn't there. Why should there be, when there was no blood for the heart to pump?

"I'm so sorry, he-"

She cut me off again. "No!" She wrenched her head up to look at me. "You promised! You fucking promised me you wouldn't let him die! How could you?!" She sobbed, rasping breaths filling the hub and cutting through the tense, teary atmosphere.

I swallowed in self-contempt, looking down at his immobile form. "I know," I said quietly. "And I broke it."

* * *

_And here we go again_

_With all the things we said_

_And not a minute spent_

_To think that we'd regret_

_So we just take it back_

_These words, we hold our breath, _

_Forget, the things we swore we meant_

* * *

_***ducks from people throwing random objects* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me.....you may metaphorically murder me in a review, if you like!**_

_**X =D**_


	22. Looking Up

_**Hi, sorry again for the delay with this one – I've got a lot of revision going on at the moment, but it's here now! However, I have to tell you that this is the last proper chapter. I will be doing an Epilogue afterwards, but after that, this story is finished! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and please keep those reviews coming! The song is another Paramore one; I started with them, so I thought it appropriate to end with them! After all, they are awesome.**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise. **_

_**Chapter 21 – Looking Up**_

* * *

The few days that followed passed in tense melancholy. The Amazonians went to hunt for a day, but apart from that, we all stayed in the hub. Gwen hadn't seen the sun for days; she just sat by Jack's bedside, holding his cold hand as endless streams of tears etched permanent tracks into the white skin of her face. I had barely been able to speak to her since we got back, she turned away every time I approached and I knew, as I stared at her distraught and grief stricken face, that she blamed me.

And she had every right to. I was the one who had given in and let him come. I was the one who had promised I wouldn't let him come to any harm. I was the one who hadn't stopped him from cutting his arm soon enough. It was my fault. I walked around with a permanent shadow haunting me now, a knife of guilt that couldn't possibly dig any deeper.

Zafrina had quietly suggested at one point that perhaps I should change him – make him one of us. But the idea was out of the question. Considering recent events, I just couldn't find it within myself to drag him into the darkness of our world. For him, death was better. I couldn't allow it, and I know Gwen would never be able to accept it. If Jack were a Vampire, to her, he would be further from her than if he was dead.

We all missed his presence. No-one said so, but it was obvious in the silence that had engulfed the entire hub. There was no cause for humour without him, no endless conversations and intriguing questions....His body was still here, but the very essence of him had gone. Only Gwen continued to deny the fact that he had finally met his match.

My footsteps were silent as I tried to approach her for the hundredth time, and for once, she didn't turn her back on me. Jack stared blindly up at the ceiling, his pale, motionless form looking just as it had for the past few days. "Gwen...?" My low murmur seemed to fall on deaf ears, and she showed no sign of even noticing I was there. Her eyes didn't even flicker up to look at me.

Letting out a soft sigh, I sat down next to her, my eyes tracing painfully over his unmoving face. "Gwen...you can't sit here for much longer, I don't think..."

"I don't care what you think!" Her head snapped around to look at me, her eyes flashing. The furious shout bounced off the walls and punctured my ears. "I don't care what you think." She said again, quieter this time as her lip trembled.

"I know," I admitted, nodding slightly. "I'm sorry, Gwen...you don't know how sorry I am. I can never forgive myself, but...don't you think it's time to let him go?"

She shook her head without hesitation. "He'll wake up. He has to."

"Gwen, Carla drained him of all blood, and he's showed no signs of replenishing it. Please, it's not fair to keep him here. Let him move on." The words were impossibly hard to say, but I forced them out nonetheless. I felt like a traitor; blood ran thick over my hands, and I felt like washing them over and over and over again.

She looked at me for a long time after that, her eyes boring into mine. In that moment, she no longer looked angry, or even like she blamed me anymore. She just looked...lost. Vulnerable: like the tiniest breath of wind could knock her down. "I can't..." She whispered, sounding truly and utterly broken. Her eyes drifted back to his face and she let out a ragged sob. "I just can't.....I need him....I _can't_...."

My fingernails dug hard into the granite flesh of my palm, and I desperately wished I could feel pain. Anything would be better than the burning guilt searing through me.

"What am I going to do, Bella?" She asked, her voice so quiet that only my ears could possibly hear it. "I'm lost without him....what else am I supposed to do? I could never live with myself if we buried him and he woke up there, or if...if...if....." She broke down into loud, rasping sobs, which she hadn't done for about five days. Falling forwards into me, she took a deep, gasping breath and I wrapped my arms around her.

"I know, Gwen, I know." I didn't know what else I could say. What else was there to say? It was true... I knew how she felt. She felt like there was no point, like she couldn't give up, but she couldn't stay either.... She was lost, and confused, and felt abandoned and betrayed all at the same time... She felt like hell.

"C'mon, Gwen...why don't we go get a cup of tea...you need one."

She sniffed and wiped her wet face on the back of her sleeve. It was only now that I realised she had literally only left his side to go to the toilet. Her hair was greasy and pushed back from her pale face, bags dragged down on her dull eyes and her lips were dry and chapped. Her clothes hung slightly off her slimmer frame, like a skeleton slowly eroding away. I pulled slightly on her sleeve so she was standing up. "Come on...I'll let you get a shower, and put some clean clothes on and tidy yourself up."

Gwen nodded and wiped at her watering eyes again. "Ok...thank you."

I smiled slightly, though it took a lot of effort. "It's alright."

"I mean it...thank you. And I'm sorry; it's not your fault..." more tears fell from her eyes, "he always did have to be in the thick of it."

* * *

With that, she turned around and pressed a teary, lingering kiss to his bloodless lips. I could have sworn I heard her breathe the words 'I love you' before she pulled away and turned to me. We walked away and she kept brushing away more tears. Just as we reached the bathroom and I checked there were new towels on the rail, we heard an all too familiar voice sound from behind us.

"Thank you. A kiss always does wonders for the un-dead. I'm no Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, but it seems to have done the trick!"

Gwen's eyes widened in disbelief and she spun around, daring to believe in it. I spun too, my mouth falling open in shock as I stared. It was him. It was really him. The blood and colour seemed to be slowly building back up into his face, his lips returning to their rightful colour as the white sheen of his skin gradually seeped away. He was....alive.

"Jack!" Gwen all but fell forwards into his arms, burying her face against his chest as he held her close. He crushed her to his body the way Edward used to do with me; like he never wanted to let go, as if he loosened his hold for just a second, she would turn to dust.

"Hey, you...." Was all he seemed to be able to say as his lips found the top of her head. I glanced to see Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri staring, just as shocked as me. But elated too. A wide grin spread across all our faces, and every ounce of worry and fear just completely vanished. He was alive!

I watched for a moment longer. Gwen looked up, her eyes shining with tears of relief as her hands slid up to clasp tightly around his neck with a determination that said she was never, ever letting go. "I thought..._we_ thought you'd...." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Jack grinned. "Yeah, well, like I said – rewards come to those who wait."

Gwen let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob, and before any of us knew it, he was kissing her. His arms enveloped her frame as soft lips found her dry ones and he kissed her urgently, pressing her close to him. She responded just as eagerly, moving ever closer until I could barely tell where she ended and he began.

At that point, I thought it polite to look away, so I turned and silently made my way over to the others, my smile still holding. "Well I guess it's all over..." I said, no hint of sadness in my voice. Jack and Gwen had each other; I doubted Torchwood needed me anymore. I'd go with Zafrina and the others, back to the Amazon and then maybe I could travel for a bit; visit the Irish clan, and perhaps Benjamin in Egypt. I smiled slightly; maybe I could even return to Forks for a few days, and say the proper goodbye to my family that I had never got the chance to do.

"You wish to come with us, _minha criança?_" Zafrina asked, still smiling at the embracing couple.

I nodded. "I think I am not needed here anymore...." A pang of slight sadness ran through me as I said it, and the gravity of leaving Torchwood hit me. Still, I wouldn't get in Gwen and Jack's way; they wouldn't need me around now.

"I beg your pardon!"

I spun to see Jack staring at me, his face one of sheer indignation. "What did you just say, Bella Cullen?"

I smiled a little. "Well, I figure you guys don't need my getting under your feet, and the Maleficus are gone...so maybe..."

Gwen frowned at me. "Maybe what, Bella? What?"

My smile fell and a small frown of confusion formed on my face. "I was gonna....leave?" I said it like a question, as though asking for permission.

Jack grinned. "Bella my dear," he told me with mock authority, "you're assuming we're going to let you go!"

Gwen chuckled. "Bella, do you seriously want to go? Or is this another of your, thinking of others before yourself acts?"

I bit my lip, not quite sure. I cast a look around the hub, remembering that fateful day when I had first come here. Did I really want to leave? A thousand memories zoomed through my head, good and bad. But still, they were memories of a place I loved, of people I loved. And sure, travelling might be good, but maybe I had a little longer at Torchwood yet.... "Um..."

Jack laughed. "I thought as much." He stepped forward to me, momentarily letting go of Gwen's hand. "Bella, honestly, stay. We still haven't seen you kick some alien ass."

My smile turned to one, impossibly wide grin as, for the first time in a while, an overwhelming feeling of true happiness and belonging spread through me. "Ok." I laughed, feeling overjoyed. "Bring it on!"

* * *

_Things are looking up_

_Oh finally_

_I thought I'd never see the day_

_When you'd smile at me_

_We always pull through_

_Oh if we try_

_I'm always wrong, but you're never right_

* * *

_**So, there we have it! There will be an Epilogue soon that I just can't resist writing, but until then, please give me a review and tell me what you think!**_

_**X =D**_


	23. Epilogue

_**Hi, well here it is, the final instalment of this story! I hope you like it and please leave me one last review at the end. Hey, and here's a fun fact for you, when I originally planned this story out, it was only about eleven chapters long, but then I added extra parts in and it's ended up at twenty-odd chapters! Anyway, enjoy this epilogue and thanks for reading!**_

_**X =D**_

_**Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise.**_

_**Epilogue**_

* * *

I could hear the rain sheeting down outside the abandoned multi-storey car park as I spun around, my sharp eyes darting around for the Weevil. The dark clouds had set in last night, not, if I was being truthful, doing much to calm down Gwen, who was convinced that something bad was going to happen. A brief smile flitted across my face as I remembered Jack kissing the top of her head and telling her it was all merely hormones and that everything would be fine.

The rain thundered on the roof, almost drowning out the Weevil's low growling as it charged for me. Its mouth curled back over its impossibly sharp teeth and it let out a malicious snarl as it leapt, its eyes dark and glinting.

"Oh, so we're playing like that are we?" I smiled, easily darting out of the way of his grasping hands. I shook my head, landing metres away. I resisted the urge to laugh at the maddened creature. He turned around on the spot a few times, looking this way and that as though confused as to where I had so suddenly disappeared to. A moment later, and he clocked me, preparing to charge again.

I let out an exaggerated sigh and casually flicked some dirt out from beneath my nail. "You know, you Weevils _really_ need to get some better tactics. Have you never heard of the element of surprise?" I grinned as I jumped, feeling the strength and adrenaline rush through my legs as I landed just where I had planned. Right behind him.

Before the Weevil even had chance to realise where I'd gone, I had one arm around his neck in a vice like grip while the other sought out my stun gun with inhuman speed. His feeble attempts to bite down on my arm were of course, unsuccessful, and I think a part of one of his pointed teeth might have even snapped off as it came into contact with my granite skin. He thrashed around in my arms, letting out loud, vicious growls of anger as my arm still held. By now, I had found the stun gun and without a moment's hesitation, I pressed it to the straining Weevil's neck and he went limp in my arms.

I stepped back and he fell to the floor, his once violence painted face going blank as his jaw went slightly slack. A small, triumphant smile danced across my face. "Now that's what I call kicking alien ass." I proclaimed, stowing the stun gun away in my coat. Once I was sure he was unconscious, I directed a teleport gun at him – one of Torchwood's newest developments – and transported him back to a holding cell in the hub. The thought of the disillusioned alien waking up a few hours later in an inescapable cell made me chuckle slightly.

_Beep. Beep._ I sighed, though I wasn't out of breath, and pressed the button on the communication device by my ear. "Bella? You there?"

I smiled as Jack's voice came through the earpiece. "Yeah, I just transported one unconscious Weevil back to the hub."

"You got him?"

I nodded, looking out at the pouring rain. "Of course I did. Any news?"

"Yes, actually, that's why I'm calling," he paused, and I guessed he was grinning. "I think you better get down to the hospital, quick."

My eyes widened. "She hasn't...?"

He laughed. "Oh yes! Come on, Bella, she's demanding that you get here as fast as you can."

A wide smile lit my face as I replied. "Ok, ok, tell her I'm coming. Bye."

"Bye."

A loud bleep sounded to signal the end of the conversation, and I hit the hang up button. Hurrying to the nearest set of stairs, I made my way from the car park and out into the freezing rain.

"Where to, love?" The taxi driver asked, giving me an appreciative glance in the rear-view mirror. That was one of the few things I hated about being a Vampire...even when my hair was soaking wet and plastered to my head, I still looked breathtakingly beautiful. Some people may think it a gift, to me, it was just annoying. Sometimes, I missed the plain old Bella. And I missed other things too: people, places... I sighed, telling myself not to go there. I'd been to Forks, and said my proper goodbyes. I'd moved on a good year and a half ago, after the cruel family responsible had been avenged. There was no need for the frequent trips down the dark and winding memory lane anymore. The clouds had cleared, and the sun was shining. Not literally, of course...

"The hospital please, as fast as possible." I told him, settling back into the seat as I watched the rain dribble down the window pane.

* * *

The door gave a small, groaning creak as I pushed it open and the smell of flowers and disinfectant rushed up my nose. Typical hospital smell. The first thing my eyes fell on was Jack, sat in a seat at the foot of his bed, looking at its occupants with sheer joy and pride plastered across his face.

I stepped further into the room, my eyes scanning the pristine walls and neatly filled out charts. Eventually, as the door closed, I brought my eyes around to look at Gwen.

She looked exhausted. Her hair was damp, and pushed back from her still slightly sweaty face and her whole body was being propped up by an abundance of crisp, white pillows. But that didn't matter. Because behind the tiredness of her expression, shone a brilliant radiance that lit up every corner of her face as she smiled at me.

"Bella," she said, glancing down at the bundle in her arms. "Come meet Bella."

My eyes widened, and for a moment, I couldn't move. "Be...Bella?" I stuttered, taking a small, uneasy step forward. My eyes were fixed on the bundle of blanket in her arms now, concealing the baby that I had yet to clap eyes on.

She smiled. "It's a girl."

"Yeah, but....Bella?"

Her eyes softened as she looked up at me. "Yeah, Bella. We're calling her Bella."

My mouth fell open and I all but fell into the chair next to her bedside. I glanced at Jack. "Are you sure?"

A grin spread across Jack's face and he nodded. "She looks like a Bella...though she'll never be able to kick ass as well as you."

Gwen's laugh sounded from beside me and I looked back at her, my eyes falling once again to the baby girl in her arms that apparently was to be my namesake. The smell of warm, clean, fresh blood drifted up through my nostrils, but it didn't bother me. It was like when Renesmee was born...she smelt good in a very non-food way. "Do you want to hold her?"

My eyes snapped up to Gwen's face. "Are you...are you sure?" I asked, remembering how cautious I had been about people holding Renesmee, though I knew she'd come to absolutely no harm.

Gwen nodded. "Of course..." she extended her arms towards me. "Here you go."

I took the warm, tiny body into my arms and cradled her close. My eyes traced over her miniature features. The tiny nose, closed eyelids and rosebud lips... "She's beautiful," I murmured, bringing a hand up to softly caress the smooth skin of her rosy cheek. A lump rose in my throat, and for a moment, I thought I was going to cry, before I remembered that I couldn't. Looking at the precious baby in my arms, I was reminded of my own daughter....soft and warm when you held her close, with tumbling bronze locks and wide, mahogany eyes. My Renesmee.

"She's absolutely gorgeous..." my breath was beginning to hitch in my throat now, and for a moment, I desperately ached for my own family back. To have my daughter back in my arms, and Edward's lips against my hair as we held Renesmee together...I wished for the laughter of my adopted family, and Esme's loving smile and Carlisle's wide smile.

My eyes fluttered to a close, and for a moment, they were all around me. Laughing, joking, hugging me....and just being, well, _them_. My heart constricted in my chest for a moment, and I came very, very close to falling off the cliff into despair again. I wanted them with me so badly....I loved them; they were my family, my friends...

A small, delighted giggle pierced through my gloom and I opened my eyes to see baby Bella looking up at me with wide, blue eyes and a wide smile. She giggled again, reaching for my finger. I let her take it gladly and she gripped it with surprising strength, not hindered by its ice cold temperature. In that moment, every ounce of grief and longing melted away and I realised that though I loved them, and I always would....I still had things to smile about.

I had Jack, and his leadership, humour and insight; I had Gwen, and her companionship and amazingly brilliant skill with practical jokes. I had this tiny little baby in my arms. This gorgeous, giggling, brand new baby. And finally, I had alien ass to kick. A lot of alien ass to kick.

I looked up, a wide smile spreading across the face. "Thank you," I said, meaning it completely and absolutely.

"For what?"

I shrugged, glancing back down at Bella again. "Everything...for letting me stay, for helping me...for just being you..." I trailed off. "I'll shut up before this gets anymore cliché."

They both laughed, and Gwen pulled her baby daughter back into her arms.

A condemned immortal – that's what I thought I was when I first arrived. A lonely soul, condemned to living forever with no companionship, no hope of happiness. But now? Nah...I was lucky compared to some. Really, really lucky. And looking up, smiling at my friends and the tiny new baby, I was only reminded of that brilliant fact.

* * *

_**There it is! Thanks for reading, and I hope it wasn't too sappy! Please leave me one last review and thanks for all your support throughout this story!**_

_**X =D**_


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